Serena Williams Fined and on Probation
Finally… after almost three months of review, the International Tennis Federation has handed down its opinion regarding Serena Williams’ outburst towards a lineswoman after being called for a foot fault during her semifinal match against Kim Clijsters at the 2009 U.S. Open. Serena will be fined (a record) $82,500 and placed on probation for two years
which covers the 2010 and 2011 Grand Slams. The previous highest fine had been $48,000 for Jeff Tarango’s wife, who slapped a chair umpire in the face. Apparently, Serena’s lack of a previous “major offense” was considered in the determination of the fine, etc. In a sense, that logic matches the legal review process in which a defendant’s history is often reviewed during the proceedings.
The ITF will actually collect $175,000 from Serena, but they will return half of that amount in two years unless she has another “major offense” at a Grand Slam tournament in 2010 or 2011. A "major offense" under Grand Slam rules is "any conduct that is determined to be 'aggravated behavior' or 'conduct detrimental to the game,” but there is no specific definition of what sort of actions constitute a "major offense." The Grand Slam committee found Serena guilty of aggravated behavior, which, according to the Grand Slam rule book, is “behavior that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a Grand Slam, or is singularly egregious.”
The ITF’s lengthy review and final decision leave something to be desired. For example, ITF President, Francisco Ricci Bitti, said during the recent Federation Cup Final, "I don't think [an Australian Open ban] would make much sense, because it would penalize the people handing out the punishment," Mr. Ricci Bitti told The Associated Press, "For the Grand Slam committee to exclude her from a Grand Slam doesn't seem likely." However, that rationalization misses the point of a fine or suspension which was to send a message to Serena and to other players regarding the fact that certain types of behavior will not be tolerated on the tennis court regardless of how high a player is ranked.
The long-awaited ITF ruling is certain to spark much debate regarding whether it is harsh enough or too harsh. Is the monetary fine steep enough to make a statement or any dent in Serena Williams' bank account which grew by $6.5 million in prize money in 2009? Is a probationary period meaningful or should Serena have been suspended? One thing that is clear is that the ITF has established a standard by which all future behavior by famous, and not so famous, tennis players will be judged. Serena has probably learned her lesson from this experience, but what is the message that has been sent to the next generation of tennis players regarding acceptable tennis etiquette?
|| Comments (0)
