Serena Williams fined $17k, critics say it’s double standard

FLUSHING MEADOWS – Serena Williams has been fined a total of $17,000 for three code violations during the U.S. Open final, the Associated Press reports.

The tournament referee’s office docked Williams $10,000 for “verbal abuse” of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being warned for coaching, and $3,000 for breaking her racket.

The money comes out of her prize money of $1.85 million as the runner-up. Williams lost to Naomi Osaka in Saturday’s final.

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Serena Williams was penalized in the U.S. Open women’s final Saturday for angry outbursts against the game’s umpire Carlos Ramos, something critics say is a double-standard in tennis.

The penalty came after Carlos Ramos accused Williams of communicating with her coach during the game, something that is allowed in other tennis tournaments but in the high-profile opens. Williams reacted angrily back, saying that she’d rather lose than receive coaching during a match, and told Ramos he owed her an apology.

A short while later she smashed her racket, prompting Ramos’ penalty against her. Smashing rackets is a frequent occurrence at tennis tournaments but it is not often that players are penalized for it. Novak Djokovic smashed his racket in frustration last Wednesday against John Millman, but received no penalty.

Critics, such as tennis legend Billie Jean King, say the game penalty went too far and alluded to a sexist double-standard in sports.

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