Serena Williams is fined for US Open outburst

Serena Williams was today handed a suspended ban from the US Open and fined a record £53,000 for her foul-mouthed tirade at a lineswoman at this year's event.

The flashpoint occurred during her semi-final defeat to Kim Clijsters when Williams was called for a foot fault, handing her opponent a match point.

The International Tennis Federation's Grand Slam Committee met last week to agree on a punishment and found her guilty of "the Grand Slam major offence of aggravated behaviour".

In announcing the penalty today they said if the 28-year-old committed any "major offence" before the end of 2011 then she would be given a one-year ban from the US Open and her fine would be doubled.

Although the fine is the largest ever in tennis, oustripping the £29,000 handed to Jeff Tarango for his outburst at an umpire at Wimbledon in 1995, the sum is small change to Williams.

She has amassed around £17million in prize money and this year alone banked £3.9m after ending the season as the world No1. What will trouble Williams more is the prospect that she could miss her home grand slam - a tournament she has won on three occasions.

Some observers believe Williams already deserves that punishment for her attack on the official. One set down and trailing 6-5, and 30-15 in the following set Williams launched into a second serve but the baseline lineswoman called her for a foot-fault, meaning the American had served a double-fault to go match point down.

Astounded by the verdict, Williams launched into an expletive-laced rant at the official. She waved her racket in the lineswoman's direction and then shook a ball in her clenched fist as she threatened to "shove it down" her throat.

Having already received a warning earlier in the match for smashing a racket to the floor, Williams was handed an automatic point penalty for a second violation which abruptly ended the match, giving Clijsters a 6-4 7-5 victory.

Williams's pointing outburst earned her a £6,500 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association in September -the maximum on-site penalty a tennis player can face.

But because it happened at one of the majors, grand slam administrator Bill Babcock was charged with investigating whether further punishment was merited. He said today that Williams faces a "probationary period" adding: "If she does not have another offence in the next two years, the suspension is lifted."

Williams is currently in Barbados for an exhibition tournament.