Serena Williams U.S. Open Outburst Prompts Investigation
Serena Williams' outburst in the women's championship match was the talk of the U.S. Open Sunday, and the tennis star could dace further consequences yet.
Williams was docked a point early in the second set against Samantha Stosur - who won 6-2, 6-3 - after shouting "Come on!!!" as encouragement to herself.
That's typically standard, but because she yelled before the point was over, she was penalized ... and then LOST IT at the umpire for evoking the "hindrance rule."
Watch Williams' U.S. Open outburst here:
"If you ever see me walking down the hall, look the other way because you're out of control," Serena said. "You're a hater and you're unattractive inside."
It is worth noting that Williams, who infamously lost a match by virtue of a pair of code violations in her 2009 semifinal meltdown, did not use any profanity.
Nevertheless, she ranted to the point where a referee will pass along the findings of the investigation to the Tournament Grand Slam Committee.
That board will decide what discipline, if any, is appropriate. Fines are all but a given; Worst case is she could be banned from future tournaments.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play for the men's title today at 4 p.m.
UPDATE: Officials just fined Serena $2,000 for the outburst, deeming that "Williams' conduct ... does not rise to the level of a major offense."
Evidently not. Her runner-up prize? $1.4 million. So that's that.
ESPY Awards Fashion Face-Off: Lindsey Vonn vs. Serena Williams
Lindsey Vonn is dominant on the slopes.
Serena Williams is among the best all-time on the hard court, clay and grass.
But we've found a surface on which both these athletes shine even brighter: the red carpet.
Vonn and Williams posed for photographers at last night's ESPY Awards in Los Angeles and neither held anything back, especially when it came to their cleavage. Wowza! Compare the beauties here and try to choose a winner, aside from every male on the planet, that is...
Serena Williams 2K Sports Commercial: Too Sexy for TV?
Serena Williams has been deemed too sexy for television.
A few days after a link to the tennis star's new 2K Sports video game commercial was Tweeted, the company received enough backlash over the spot - which features a scantily-clad Serena taking on a scantily-clad model - to announce it would not air on TV.
"As part of the process for creating marketing campaigns to support our titles, we pursue a variety of creative avenues," 2K Sports wrote in a statement. "This video is not part of the title's final marketing campaign and its distribution was unauthorized."
But it was clearly meant to hit the airways, as Serena Tweeted last week to be on the lookout for "awesomely sexy video."
And, come on, 2K Sports, billboards of Rafael Nadal shirtless are all over Europe.
What do you think? Should the ad have been pulled?
View Poll »
Serena Williams Hospitalized With Blood Clot
Tennis champion Serena Williams has been hospitalized in L.A. with a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs. She suffered the health scare Monday.
Williams looked stunning at Sunday's Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party just hours before the unexpected condition surfaced.
Serena had been spotted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. several times over the past week regarding the conditioned, but it worsened this week.
"Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation," her rep says.
"Last week, Serena suffered from a pulmonary embolism [a blood clot in the lungs] which was discovered upon her return to L.A.," the star's rep adds.
"She had been in New York for ongoing issues with her foot. Doctors continue to monitor her situation closely to avoid additional complications."
Here's wishing Serena a fast, speedy recovery.
Bikini Body Battle: Kim Kardashian vs. Serena Williams
On most Miami afternoons, Kim Kardashian would strut along Miami Beach, confident that she has the most slammin bikini body in town.
But another female stepped up this week, a woman known for her fiery, competitive side. If Kim thinks she can take Serena Williams lightly, the model will be in for a major shock.
The tennis star played in the water and made a literal splash with fans yesterday. Check out Serena below, challening Kardashian for Floridian supremacy. Then, vote in our poll...
Who has the better bikini body?
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Serena Williams: Nude in ESPN the Magazine
When we last saw Serena Williams showing off her body, the part on display was her mouth, as the tennis champion threatened the life of berated a line judge and was ultimately disqualified in an epic U.S. Open meltdown.
Now she's making news for better - and less controversial - reasons.
ESPN The Magazine’s first-ever “Body Issue,” which hits newsstands Saturday, October 9, features the jacked and curvaceous Serena Williams nude ...
A smiling and extremely nude Serena Williams shows off her body in ESPN the magazine's "Body Issue." This woman is ripped. And a bit of a loose cannon.
According to USA Today, six covers will be unveiled: Serena, MMA star Gina Carano, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, triathlete Sarah Reinertsen, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Dwight Howard of the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Collect them all later this week!
Which Was the Worst Celebrity Meltdown?
September has been a wild month for bizarre, inappropriate outbursts and YouTube Hall of Fame moments, ranging from music to sports and even politics.
Which was the worst meltdown of them all? Let's review the contenders:
- U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) wasn't a celebrity until his "You lie!" outburst during President Obama's health care speech. That was an all-timer.
- Serena Williams, tennis legend, completely imploded with a profane tirade at a judge in the U.S. Open semifinals, leading to her disqualification.
- Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Music Video Awards and belligerently said Beyonce's video was way better.
None of the above are likely to live down these infamous tirades anytime soon. But which was the most inappropriate? Vote in THG's survey below ...
Whose outburst was the most inappropriate?
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Foot Fault Call Sparks Serena Williams Meltdown
We don't normally post about sports or sports figures at THG.
But there are exceptions, like when Tom Brady goes shirtless, Shawne Merriman possibly beats up Tila Tequila or Boise State and Oregon get into an epic melee.
Or last night's outburst by Serena Williams in the U.S. Open tennis semifinals, which will rank among some of the classic YouTube moments in sports history.
After being called for a foot fault - which is non-reviewable - in her match with Kim Clijsters, Serena absolutely lost her $h!t at the judge that made the call.
Her quote: "I'm gonna shove this ball down your f*%king throat." Really. And Williams' rant kept going long after that, reportedly with much more vulgarity.
Serena Williams' outburst was equally notable for its impact on the match.
Amazingly, Serena was already penalized for smashing a racket earlier, which resulted in a warning. Her second outburst (at the judge) thus cost her a point.
Even more amazingly, she happened to be down match point at the time, so that point she was penalized ended the match, giving Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 win!
And you think you've seen it all. Check out the video below of Serena's U.S. open outburst at the judge who called the most infamous foot fault in history:
