First came the World No. 1 crown, and then the US Open title slipped away. By the end of the fortnight, Aryna Sabalenka had suffered two big losses, and the disappointment was clear to see in her final against Elena Rybakina. At one point, her frustration got the better of her as she smashed a shot so hard that the ball flew into the stands, earning her a code violation for ball abuse. But instead of helping her regain her composure, the moment only made things worse for the World No. 2.

The US Open’s official on-site fines summary confirms Aryna Sabalenka picked up a $7,500 penalty from her final defeat to Elena Rybakina, tied to the code violation she received for ball abuse after smashing a shot into the stands.

However, the Belarusian’s frustration was on display for more than one moment. She lost the final 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 and broke her racket on the ground and cursed a cameraman who had come close to her box. She later defended the outburst in her press conference. 

“It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for a three-peat,” she said. “I just wanted to let it go, because if I would hold it inside, right now over here or over there on the court, I wouldn’t be able to say a word.”

Nevertheless, Sabalenka’s penalty was just one of 20 fines given throughout the tournament, amounting to $112,500, for violations such as coaching, racket abuse, and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Notably, missing from the list are Venus and Serena Williams, who had their own incident with a possible violation earlier in the tournament. The sisters had skipped their mandatory press conference after losing their first-round doubles match to Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan in three sets, squandering a 5-0 lead in the deciding tiebreak. 

Under the rules of Grand Slam, there is a fine for failing to attend a presser. But at the time, the USTA made it clear that there would be no fine or suspension.

However, the USTA’s decision not to fine the Williams sisters drew criticism from fans, who questioned whether the rules were being interpreted differently in their case.

Every Penalty Issued at Flushing Meadows

Sabalenka’s fine was not even the largest handed out this tournament. That distinction belonged to 19-year-old qualifier Luisina Giovannini, fined $20,000, more than 60 percent of her prize money, for not giving her best effort during her opening qualifying match.

The Argentine retired in just 17 minutes and five games against Lucia Bronzetti, trailing 5-0, after hitting a shanked backhand that proved that she was no longer competing at her professional level. 

The next in the list is Corentin Moutet. He was fined twice for a combined $15,000 after retiring from his first-round match against Dane Sweeny with a wrist injury. The Frenchman smashed his racket to pick up a $5000 penalty and was handed a larger penalty for pulling out of the match before the injury kicked in, but it was later documented as a genuine case due to his withdrawal in Cincinnati last month.

In fact, the Frenchman has now withdrawn from the upcoming Asian swing, citing discomfort in his wrist.

Moreover, Belinda Bencic’s $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct stemmed from a first-round incident against Yulia Putintseva, when she hit a ball into the crowd out of frustration while leading. Putintseva argued for a default and highlighted that Novak Djokovic was disqualified at the 2020 US Open for a similar incident. But the umpire said Bencic’s hit was accidental and the spectator had not been injured, sparing her anything beyond the code violation. 

Wimbledon semifinalist Arthur Fery was fined $5,000 for audible obscenity during his second-round loss to Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

A cluster of other players, including Otto Virtanen, Arthur Gea, Vilius Gaubas, Arthur Fils, Luciano Darderi, and Francisco Cerundolo, were fined between $2,500 and $5,000 apiece for racket abuse during their own matches.