Serena Williams' wallet is $2,000 lighter after her outburst during the women's final of the U.S. Open Sunday. That no doubt isn't going to sit well with fans who think she went way over the line when she called chair umpire Eva Asderaski "a hater" and added that she was "unattractive inside."
Williams' runner-up finish to Australia's Samantha Stosur netted her $900,000, and she got a check for another $500,000 in bonuses. So, if the Open is serious about curtailing Sunday's behavior, is a $2,000 slap really going to accomplish much? Or was Serena's outburst just not that big a deal?
Here's the official statement from the U.S. Tennis Association:
U.S. Open Tournament Referee Brian Earley has fined Serena Williams $2,000 following the code violation issued for verbal abuse during the women's singles final. This fine is consistent with similar offenses at Grand Slam events. As with all fines at the U.S. Open, the monies levied are provided to the Grand Slam Development Fund which develops tennis programs around the world.
After independently reviewing the incident which served as the basis for the code violation, and taking into account the level of fine imposed by the U.S. Open referee, the Grand Slam Committee Director has determined that Ms. Williams' conduct, while verbally abusive, does not rise to the level of a major offense under the Grand Slam Code of Conduct.
About Reid and Mike
Reid Cherner has been with USA TODAY since 1982 and written Game On! since March 2008.
He has covered everything from high schools to horse racing to the college and the pros. The only thing he likes more than his own voice is the sound of readers telling him when he's right and wrong.
Michael Hiestand has covered sports media and marketing for USA TODAY, tackling the sports biz ranging from what's behind mega-events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl to the sometimes-hidden numbers behind the sports world's bottom line.
