Serena fined $17,000 after US Open final outburst

Serena Williams (R) of the United States argues with referee Brian Earley (L) during her Women’s Singles finals match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on Day Thirteen of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Chris Trotman/Getty Images for USTA/AFPilliam

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Serena Williams has been fined $17,000 by the US Tennis Association in the wake her outburst during a controversial US Open final loss to Japan’s Naomi Osaka.

The American star was fined for coaching, racquet abuse and for verbal abuse when she accused umpire Carlos Ramos of being “a thief” during Saturday’s stormy final.

Williams was incensed at the coaching violation, although coach Patrick Mouratoglou, sitting in her box, admitted that he was coaching when he moved his hands.

That violation carried a $4,000 fine, while a second violation for racquet abuse — after she smashed her racquet after dropping her serve in the fifth game of the second set — cost her $3,000.

The second violation also cost her a point in the match, sparking her renewed verbal attack on Ramos, a code violation which carried a $10,000 fine.

Her third code violation of the match also cost her a game, putting Osaka on the brink of what would be a 6-2, 6-4 victory that made her the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title.

© Agence France-Presse