The profanity filled outburst by Serena Williams towards a line judge on Saturday night will now cost her more than just the semifinal match she lost to Kim Clijsters. Williams has now been fined $10,000 dollar for unsportsmanlike conduct for her on-court behavior in the semifinal match.
Clijsters was winning what ended up being the final game of Saturday night's semifinal match against Williams. Williams was serving and was trailing 15-30. On her first serve she faulted. On her second serve the line judge called a foot fault given the point to Clijsters.
Williams exposed in a fury outburst filled with profanity towards the line judge. As a result Williams was deducted a point for unsportsmanlike conduct. This point was also the match point, giving Clijsters the win.
You can watch the video of Williams' outburst here.
In addition to the $10,000 fine for her behavior towards the line judge, Williams has also been fined $500 for racquet abuse. This also occurred in the semifinal match against Clijsters. This occurred at the end of the first set of the match.
The $10,000 fine Williams received was the max allowed for an on-site penalty. Williams may face additional penalties pending the results of an investigation by the Grand Slam Committee Administrator. The investigation will determine if her on-court actions are considered a Major Offense.
The $10,500 on-site penalties Serena Williams received at the US Open are just a fraction of what she earned just for reaching the women's semifinal round. Williams received $350,000 for her appearance in the 2009 US Open semifinals. This does not even take inconsideration what she will earn for playing in the women's doubles final match with her sister Venus on Monday.
Only after the investigation has been concluded will she know what her outburst will cost her from the tennis association. But only time will tell how much love she lost from fans.
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