Serena Williams fined $17,000 after US Open Final meltdown and accusing umpire of sexism
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Loading... - Mary Campbell
- 10 Sep 2021
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Serena Williams has been fined a total of $17,000 for her three code violations during the US Open Final.
Williams has been docked $10,000 for "verbal abuse" of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being warned for coaching and $3,000 for smashing her racquet.
The money comes out of her $1.85million prize money, having been beaten in straight sets by 20-year-old Japanese starlet Naomi Osaka.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner branded umpire Carlos Ramos a THIEF and demanded tournament referee Brian Earley to come out during her meltdown on Arthur Ashe.
Williams initially objected to being handed a code violation for 'coaching' from the box and things soon escalated during her defeat at Flushing Meadows.
Williams raged: "It was not coaching. I do not cheat to win. I would rather lose. I just want you to know that.”
She would continue: "I understand why you might have thought that, but I do want you to know I don’t cheat. Thank you very much.”
Williams was struggling against Osaka, and soon was handed another violation for breaking her racquet.
After learning of the point penalty, Williams would blast the umpire again, declaring: "I have never cheated in my life.
"You own me an apology! I have a daughter and I have not cheated in my life.”
Those in attendance booed and Williams continued to blast Ramos, declaring “You will never be on another court of mine as long as you live.
"You are attacking my character and you owe me an apology. You are a liar. You will never umpire on a court of mine as long as you live. Give me my apology. You stole a point from me and you’re thief too.”
Ramos subsequently called a third code violation, and docked her a game, before Earley made his way on court.
As Williams pleaded her case on court with Earley, calling the penalties unfair, she said: “Because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me?”
After her defeat, Williams renewed her attack at a media conference later.
“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things,” she said. “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say ‘thief’, and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’.
“For me, it blows my mind. But I’m going to continue to fight for women.”
However, it is not the first time that Serena has run into trouble with officials at Flushing Meadows.
In a semi-final against Kim Clijsters in 2009, she was penalised for threatening a line judge and subsequently fined.
Two years later, during a final loss to Sam Stosur, Williams called umpire Eva Asderaki "a hater" and "unattractive inside" for calling a hindrance penalty against her.
