Serena Williams has been slapped with a record fine for her outburst at the U.S. Open.
 
According to the Associated Press, Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock has ordered Serena to pay $82,500 for yelling at a linewoman during a September match.
 
Serena’s got to watch her mouth as she’ll be on probation for the four big championships in 2010 and 2011. If she loses her cool again with a “major offense,” then her fine will increase to $175,000 and she’ll be suspended from the following U.S. Open.
 
"But if she does not have another offense in the next two years, the suspension is lifted," Bill said Monday. He notes that her current payment is almost twice the previous record-setting fine total, which was the $48,000 Jeff Tarango had to shell out back in the ’90s.
 
Bill later explained what constitutes a “major offense” stating that it is "any conduct that is determined to be the 'major offense' of 'aggravated behavior' or 'conduct detrimental to the game."
 
While we’re sure Serena is upset over her punishment, she seem to be handling the fine and the “probationary period” like the pro she is.
 
"I am thankful that we now have closure on the incident and we can all move forward," Serena said in a statement. "I am back in training in preparation for next season and I continue to be grateful for all of the support from my fans and the tennis community."
 
This is actually the second time Serena has had to pay for the tirade. Reportedly she  was immediately fined $10,000 for shouting at the line official who called a foot fault on the Grand Slam champion. It ‘s the highest amount  any player can be ordered to pay onsite.



-- Sonya Eskridge

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