Just as the rackets went flying, so did the cash at the Australian Open.
The first major of the year kicked off the tennis season with some of the biggest meltdowns fan have seen, but also saw some of the most ridiculous fines handed out.
The most recent of which was Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time Australian Open champion, who seemingly could not handle her crown being taken away from her as she let the emotions flow after her final defeat to Madison Keys.
After fighting back to win the second set, the world No.1 lost the decider 7-5, as well as her title and temper, embracing Keys before walking to her bench and smashing her racket to pieces.
The result? A $20,000 fine, and while the 26-year-old will avoid the maximum penalty of $50,000, the five-figure sum could have easily been avoided with a bit more composure.
“There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” Sabalenka said afterwards.
“When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything going not the way you really want to go. I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion is not the only one to pick up fines for racket abuse Down Under.
She joins Daniil Medvedev as another high-profile case of losing your cool.
The Russian had a disappointing Australian Open campaign and his frustration was on full display in the two matches he played in Melbourne.
In his first match, the world No.7 launched his racket at the net camera before destroying the equipment itself.
“The camera was very, very strong, because my racquet didn’t handle the damage, but the camera did. I was very surprised,” Medvedev said afterwards.
Then in his second match, it was the advertisement boards who felt his fury, as the 2021 US Open champion threw his racket at the displays during his upset defeat to Learner Tien.
AFPDaniil Medvedev smashed his racket into the net camera[/caption]
What could be the appropriate punishment for such persistent displays of anger? How about 82 percent of your total prize money?
Medvedev was fined a total of $123,000 for his antics in Melbourne, and it comes after he earned a total of $150,000 for his efforts.
Jack Draper was another tennis star who silenced the crowd with his racket smashing. The Brit destroyed his equipment during his five-set thriller with Aleksandar Vukic.
As a result of the more controlled explosion which saw the 23-year-old smash his racket, organisers fined him $4,000.
Draper’s antics came in the context of the intense booing he faced during his match with the Australian home favorite.
Along with the racket destruction, the British No.1 was also spotted sarcastically applauding the crowd and raising his thumb up to fans in Margaret Court Arena.
Other players hit with fines for reasons such as unsportsmanlike conduct were Denis Shapovalov, who received a $5000 penalty, and Corentin Moutet, who received a $15,000 penalty.
One player was even bizarrely hit with a fine for unacceptable attire, despite the fact the Australian Open are more relaxed with regards to dress code than Wimbledon, who have a strict white only rule.
However, Nikolosz Basilashvili somehow still manged to get hit with a $3000 penalty for breaching Melbourne’s dress rule.
