In the early hours of Sunday night, Daniil Medvedev was involved in one of the most controversial moments of the US Open, after confronting the chair umpire, after he awarded a new first serve to his opponent due to the intrusion of a photographer on the court. The Russian ended up losing the match and decided not to talk about the incident because of the possible fine he would have to face if he did so.
This incident is reminiscent of one of the most controversial chapters in recent US Open history. It happened in 2009, when Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, was handed the highest fine ever imposed at the New York tournament. What began as a semifinal against Belgium’s Kim Clijsters ended up becoming a scandal that marked a turning point in the American’s career.
A critical moment
It was a vibrant night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Serena Williams was facing Kim Clijsters. The match was intense, with Clijsters playing at an exceptional level and Serena struggling to stay on her feet. The score was 5-6, 15-30 in the second set in favor of the Belgian. Serena had lost the first set and was on the verge of elimination. At that moment, the line judge penalized Williams for a foot fault on her second serve, which gave Clijsters a match point. That’s when chaos broke out.
Williams’ reaction was instantaneous and furious. She approached the line judge with words of rage. According to official reports and available recordings, Serena threatened to “shove the ball down her throat”. Her threat was not only violent, but also directly violated the Grand Slam code of conduct, which provides for penalties for aggravated conduct.
The harshest penalty in US Open history
Initially, Serena was fined $10,500 for the offense. However, the seriousness of the incident led the Grand Slam Committee to review the case further. Months later, an additional $175,000 fine was issued.
The punishment was historic. Never before had such a high financial penalty been imposed at the US Open. The figure even far exceeded the fines imposed on male tennis players for equally inappropriate conduct. To avoid suspension from the tournament in 2010, the committee offered a commutation. If Serena behaved herself for the next two years, the fine would be reduced to $82,500. But officially, the record remains with the full amount as the highest ever imposed in the tournament.
To gauge the severity of Serena’s punishment, it is worth reviewing some of the highest fines in the tournament’s history. In 2017, Italy’s Fabio Fognini was fined $96,000 for misogynistic insults towards a judge during a match and inappropriate behavior in the locker room.
John McEnroe, legendary for his explosive temper, was fined $17,500 in 1987 and suspended for two months for a series of verbal altercations in the US Open final. Even figures such as Andre Agassi and Mike Bryan were involved in controversial incidents, albeit with much lesser consequences. $3,000 for Agassi in 1990 for insulting the chair umpire, and $10,000 for Bryan in 2019 for simulating shooting with his racket at an umpire.
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