Ahead of Serena Williams' match against Maya Joint in Wimbledon 2026 Women's Singles, here's a look back at when the tennis icon called an umpire a 'loser' and 'unattractive.'
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSerena Williams is gearing up to return to the court after 4 long years. This has left fans immensely excited to see how she will perform. For those unaware, her return to the singles competition will begin with her match against Maya Joint on June 30, 2026, at Wimbledon 2026. Notably, her last competitive match before this came in 2022 at the US Open. As excitement surrounding her comeback continues to grow, here's a look back at when Serena called an umpire a loser.
It was almost a decade ago, in 2011, when Serena Williams faced Samantha Stosur in the US Open final that year. To everyone's disappointment, the 23-time Grand Slam champion ended up losing the match in straight sets. But it was actually another incident during the match that put the spotlight on Serena for all the wrong reasons. As you might be aware, tennis matches, especially one like the US Open final, are extremely nerve-wracking. During a rally, when Serena shouted ‘come on,’ the umpire present there promptly penalised her.
The umpire had docked a point for deliberate hindrance. However, Serena was not at all happy with the umpire’s decision. After losing her temper, she lashed out at the chair umpire, Eva Asderaki and called her a loser. She even went so far as to call her a hater. Serena shouted:
“You're totally out of control. You're a hater and you're unattractive inside. What a loser.”
Serena's behavior led her to be fined USD 2000. Later, she was also forced to issue an apology. At the time, a USTA statement said:
"US Open tournament referee, Brian Earley has fined Serena Williams $2,000 following the code violation issued for verbal abuse during the women's singles final. This fine is consistent with similar offences at grand slam events. As with all fines at the US Open, the monies levied are provided to the Grand Slam Development Fund which develops tennis programs around the world.”
It is worth noting that this was not the only time that Serena had an outburst in her career. Previously, during the 2009 US Open semifinal, Serena had lost her temper again when she faced her opponent, Kim Clijsters. After she lost a point to Kim, Serena got so frustrated that she broke her racquet then and there. She received a penalty for the same. She was warned a second time during the same match when she shouted at the referee.
Serena’s fans are desperately wishing for her to win during her match with Maya Joint at Wimbledon 2026. Tennis expert, Chris Eubanks believes that Serena has a great draw and a great opportunity. He thinks that her game against Maya will showcase how she is doing physically. However, it will be interesting to see how the tennis icon deals with her nerves now that she is coming back to the court after 4 years.
Chris thinks that Serena Williams has a good chance to make it to the third round of Wimbledon. From there on, if she continues to build her confidence, her opponents will have a significantly hard time dealing with her. Another expert called D’Arcy Maine believes that if Serena were to win her first match against Maya, things would actually get harder for her. He said:
“Alexandra Eala, the fan favourite and No. 29 seed who just defeated former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina en route to the semifinals in Berlin, could await in the second round and Iga Swiatek, the No. 3 seed and defending champion, would be her likely opponent in the third round. Swiatek hasn't been her best as of late, but it still feels unlikely a rusty Williams would have enough to get past her.”
What are your thoughts on Serena Williams calling an umpire a ‘loser’? Let us know.
Also read: Meet Serena Williams' 2 Kids Amid Predictions About How She Will Fare At Wimbledon In Her Comeback