Serena’s Slap On The Wrist: The Friday Five
Serena Williams
By Maud Watson
A Slap for Serena – It didn’t come as a surprise when I read the ITF’s verdict on Serena Williams’ infamous US Open tirade. Nonetheless, I was sorely disappointed to read that she was merely fined $82,500 and will serve a two-year probation at the Grand Slams. If she commits another “major offense” at a Grand Slam event during her probation, the fine will double to $175,000 and she will be banned from the following US Open. For me, there are several things wrong with this ruling. First, be it $82,500 or even the $175,000, that’s pocket change to a player who made a little over $6.5 million in 2009 prize money alone. Secondly, if the second “major offense,” is what gets a player banned from a Slam, shouldn’t her US Open tirade have been that second offense? Why was she never punished for her comments at the 2009 Roland Garros Championships where she accused Spanish player Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of cheating and remarked, “I’m going to get you in the locker room; you don’t know me.” Maybe it lacked the foul language she unleashed on the lineswoman at the US Open, but it was a clear threat that got swept under the rug. I also question what message the ITF’s verdict sends to the rest of the top players. If they feel ripped by a call, they should feel free to have a go at the officials? They get one freebie, so why not? And what after those probationary two years are up? Clean slate and players get another freebie? My personal favorite is how the Australian officials are saying they now expect Serena to be on her best behavior. It’s nothing against the Australian officials who are just answering questions from the press, but shouldn’t this be expected of all competitors anyway? Most competitors know what’s expected of them, and they don’t need the threat of breaking probation hanging over their heads to act in a respectable manner. I firmly believe Serena got off easy because her name is Serena Williams, and I hope that if she commits another “major offense” in the next two years (or at any other time for that matter), the ITF has the backbone to do something about it.
The Silent Assassin – That’s the nickname the commentators were giving to Nikolay Davydenko, and it couldn’t have been more appropriate for the slightly built Russian who quietly made his way to the first big title of his career at the ATP World Tour Finals event in London. Davydenko took out all three of the 2009 Grand Slam winners en route to the title (including his first win over Roger Federer in 13 tries), and passed Roddick in the rankings as a result of his good form. It’s been great to see him rise above the ugly betting scandal he endured earlier and become known for something positive.
Bryans Back on Top – The most famous set of twins in tennis are back at the top once again. The Bryans had more recently been overshadowed by the likes of Nestor and Zimonjic, but with their 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram to claim their third season-ending championship title, the Bryan Brothers also reclaimed the No. 1 doubles ranking.
End of an Era – It appears that Indianapolis may lose its right to host a professional tournament. A victim of the recession, Tournament Director Kevin Martin explained the event’s nonprofit group had looked at a variety of options, but is now faced with selling its sanctioning rights to the ATP event. If the event does move, or get cancelled altogether, it will mark the end of nearly 80 years of great tennis in the Hoosier capital, which has hosted names such as McEnroe, Borg, Sampras, and Roddick.
Au Revoir, Amelie! – On Thursday, French tennis star Amelie Mauresmo called time on her career. The announcement was not a complete surprise given Mauresmo’s latest struggles with injury and lack of form, but it was sad to hear all the same. A former World No. 1, the winner of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships in 2006, and owner of one of the best one-handed backhands in the sport, Amelie had one of the most complete games on the WTA Tour. She will be missed, but we wish her all the best!
Excellent points about Serena’s ‘punishment’ – especially how she threatened María José Martínez Sánchez at the French Open, which most people overlook when writing about the US Open incident. Not to mention her disgraceful gamesmanship against Daniela Hantuchová at Wimbledon 2007…
The fine is meaningless when Serena has won more than $28 million in career prize-money (and countless more in off-court earnings), and the probation only scratches the surface of a meaningful punishment.
What sort of message is this sending out? That everyone’s allowed to threaten murder once and get away with it for the loss of a tiny percentage of his/her estate?
Jeff Tarango was banned from Wimbledon 1996 for storming off court at Wimbledon 1995, after calling the umpire “the most corrupt official in the game”. In my view, that was a considerably less major offence than Serena’s threatening tirade.
Thanks for the feedback, Andrew, and you bring up some great points yourself. I didn't throw this in my "rant," as it's a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but I think it stinks that players like Wickmayer and Malisse are looking at losing an entire year of their careers (and possibly more from what I've recently read) for violating the "whereabouts" rule that everyone agrees is controversial. Granted, they need to be punished or else there's no incentive to follow those rules, but I'd say in many ways what they did isn't nearly as offensive as what Serena did…I also think if the roles were reversed, Wickmayer would be banned from the US Open and Serena would be looking at a max ban of 3 months or something for violating the "whereabouts" rule. You can never prove it, but there does seem to be a double standard here.
Especially when Andre Agassi went – and continues to go – unpunished for taking a Class A drug, and unpunished for perjury.
i agree with you 100%. i actually had absolutely no idea she made that threat toward martinez sanchez so that shows that it was swept under the rug and hardly reported in light of the cheating controversy itself! i don't care what a person does it doesn't constitute being threatened like that. there is a thing called professionalism and as an elite player who has garnered millions of a dollars,it clearly shows that it's something serena lacks. and that isn't the only thing either…look at all of the B/S she started regarding dinara this season. making sheer mockery of a peer's successes which i think in legal terms can be deemed as defamation. i think that alone should have been reprimanded. all the crap she's done over the years whether her lack of grace in defeat or her ego-laden rants,it doesn't compare to the despicable antics she's showcased this season. it's pretty sad because now we have lost one of our most dignified competitors in amelie mauresmo.
but i do have to say one thing regarding the ITF and the comparison with wickmayer and malisse. although the rulings were not actually intertwined and decided by different establishments,the standards of support clearly showed hypocrisy. the head of the ITF came out and commented on the ruling of wickmayer and pretty exposed himself as a brown-noser to WADA yet almost instantaneously following those comments,he was quoted to say that he didn't expect anything harsh done to serena. as you were saying,it's sad that a stupid,ridiculous wheareabouts rule has a higher standard than violent threats made by an elite player. and i really believe had that whole incident been done by a guy or a player lesser than there would have been absolutely no hesitation to ban them. just as andrew broad pointed out about the tarango incident,there was no hesitation there whatsoever. and also wasn't john mcenroe suspended for a similar thing in the 80's? i mean the whole thing just reeks of pure and utter bias and sadly politics.
Maud why don't you and the rest find something to do with your obviously paltry lives. The decision
is made and, like-it-or-not, there is nothing you can do about it. Furthermore, double-standard or not,
Serena Williams IS women's tennis. This is merely the way that the proverbial ball bounces, just as there are different rules for the wealthy. People like you always scream for fairness unless you're the
one at the center.
you can insult us all you like but you forget this will be following her for the entire season of 2010 with the entailments that was applied. so obviously it will continue to be an issue and subject of conversation in almost every match she will play. and if she pulls anything remotely like it again it will be automatic.
and the same to you btw because at the same token,once the shoe is on the other foot,usually when it's an issue that goes against serena,it never ends. just like the faithful people who always bring up justine henin and that whole RG debacle. you think that's very fair too? probably not.