A Closer Look At The Biggest Fines Seen At Wimbledon

Tennis is quite a respectable sport. You don’t often see the players getting into brawls on the court or slinging insults at their opponents. However, as with any sport, things can get heated as the stars put their all into trying to win. So, there definitely have been moments over the years where people have gotten a little too passionate in defeat.

Of course, this comes with its share of risks for the players, given that letting their temper run rampant can land them with a fine. We’ve seen some people have to pay out pretty hefty sums over the years, the money for which has reportedly gone to providing tennis scholarships in developing countries. We’re not sure whether helping a good cause has softened the financial blow for these sports stars, though.

Bernard Tomic was fined $54,800 for a lack of enthusiasm at Wimbledon

2019 was an expensive year to be a disappointed tennis star. Someone who had to pay big this year was Bernard Tomic, who lost the shortest Wimbledon men’s match in 15 years against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Unfortunately, his loss wasn’t down to Tsonga playing the game of his life. Instead, Tomic just seemed incredibly disinterested in playing with any sort of enthusiasm. People called his poor form and amateur performance “embarrassing” online, with Tomic fighting back that he was unwell during the game. Still, that didn’t stop him from being fined £45,000 (approximately $54,800).

Serena Williams was fined $10,000 after damaging a practice court

Serena Williams may be beloved in the world of tennis, but even she is apparently capable of lashing out when things don’t go her way. In 2019, she allegedly damaged one of the practice courts before the tournament began. It initially went unreported, but eventually, the news broke that Williams had let her feelings get the better of her. She was supposedly fined $10,000 for the incident, which followed the $17,000 she was fined at the US Open in 2018. Back then, she broke several code violations, including calling the umpire a “thief” and a “liar.”

Daniil Medvedev received a $13,600 fine after throwing coins at an umpire

When things don’t go a person’s way, they often seek someone out to blame. In sports, it’s not uncommon for players to point the finger at someone like the referee or umpire, which is exactly what Daniil Medvedev did at Wimbledon in 2017. He seemed to have it out for the Portuguese umpire, resulting in him receiving three separate fines. These were apparently for insulting the umpire on multiple occasions and then tossing coins at her chair. He was ultimately charged £11,200 (approximately $13,600) for the incident, which he later apologized for.

Victor Hǎnescu was fined $15,000 after getting aggressive with spectators

Performing in front of an audience can be quite intimidating. However, you’d think most sports stars would be used to it, given how many people often show up to watch games. Unfortunately, it seems that Victor Hǎnescu felt the pressure of being watched at Wimbledon in 2010, leading him to lash out at the crowd. He claimed that he was provoked by the spectators, hence why he cursed and spit in their direction. He ended up being fined $7,500 twice, once for unsportsmanlike conduct and again for not playing to the best of his ability. It’s believed he intentionally messed up before towards the end of the match.

Nick Kyrgios amassed over $17,500 in fines at Wimbledon in 2022

Nick Kyrgios is no stranger to a fine. In 2022, he revealed that he had racked up around AUS$800,000 (approximately $508,000) in fines throughout his career because of his controversial behavior. That includes multiple instances at Wimbledon, including three fines in 2022. After spitting at a spectator, Kyrgios was reportedly fined £8,200 (approximately $10,000). This then increased to £11,500 (approximately $14,000) for the bad blood between him and Stefanos Tsitsipas before going up again to £14,500 (approximately $17,650). The final total was apparently due to “audible obscenity” during the final.

Jeff Tarango’s unsportsmanlike conduct earned him a fine worth $28,800 today

Sports stars pick up all sorts of nicknames during their careers. We’re not sure that being called the Tennis Menace is necessarily something that Jeff Tarango has ever been particularly proud of, though. The nickname stemmed from his behavior, with Tarango proving why that was the case at the 1995 Wimbledon tournament. No one seemed to escape his wrath, from the umpire Bruno Rebeuh to the audience. Tarango was consequently fined £10,000 for his actions, which would be the equivalent of £23,700 (approximately $28,800) today.

These fines are nothing to be proud of, and for some of these tennis stars, they’re nothing out of the ordinary. As we said, though, at least the money goes to a good cause. So, we know that whenever someone behaves out of line at Wimbledon, there will be deserving people who benefit from it.