Serena Williams has had to endure so much bullsh*t in her tennis career, that to see her face match penalties almost adds insult to injury. Officials at the US Open are penalizing her three code violations that occurred during her Finals' loss to Naomi Osaka. The tournament referee’s office is docking her $10,000 for "verbal abuse" towards umpire Carlos Ramos.
There was a second misunderstanding between Ramos and Williams, when he warned her against "receiving coaching" which is prohibited during Grand Slam matches. Upon hearing his orders, Serena fired back, "is the one thing I’ve never done, ever.” After the match, her coach admitted he was passing her a signal when the verbal spat occurred.
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The third fine was imposed because Serena smashed her racket in frustration. Because the violent gesture was her 2nd "in-game" violation, umpire Carlos Ramos was forced to dock her a point on the scoreboard, which inevitably led to more argumentation. The verbal spat cost her a crucial game, which saw her opponent take a 5-3 lead in the set, and further disrupted her focus in the match. “I have never cheated in my life!” Williams said to Ramos. “You owe me an apology.”
By definition, verbal abuse in Grand Slam tennis is explained as "a statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise abusive." You be the judge:
