December 1st, 2009 
Lovely Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her tirade at a U.S. Open line judge and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another “major offense” at any Grand Slam in the next two years. The American, 28, verbally abused an official after a foot-fault call which gave Kim Clijsters a match point in their semi-final this year. The world number one will incur the ban if she commits any further “major offence” before the end of 2011. In that case, her fine will also double to £106,000. 
After the match in September, Williams was fined £6,000, which has been included in the latest penalty of £53,000. The fine, a quarter of the £212,000 Williams received for reaching the semi-finals, still tops the previous highest Grand Slam fine of £38,000 given to Jeff Tarango in 1995. After the incident, Williams released an initial statement, which did not include a straight apology, but later said she wanted to “sincerely apologise” for her behaviour.
“I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately. It’s not the way to act – win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner, she said”
The International Tennis Federation’s Grand Slam Committee met last week to agree on a punishment. It found her guilty of “the Grand Slam major offence of aggravated behaviour”.
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