Serena Williams and Venus Williams avoid Wimbledon fines after skipping press conferences

Sunday, 05 July 2026 at 20:30

Wimbledon has released its official list of financial sanctions from the opening week of the tournament, with one notable detail: neither Serena Williams nor Venus Williams appear among the players fined, despite both having skipped mandatory press conference commitments during the Championships.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion did not attend her post-match media duties following her singles defeat to Maya Joint, later attributing her absence to a knee injury. Days later, Venus Williams followed a similar path, also missing her press conference obligations after her defeat in the mixed doubles alongside Kevin Krawietz.

In both cases, their absence from the sanctions list is significant, given that such breaches can typically carry fines exceeding $70,000 under Grand Slam regulations.

While several competitors were fined for offences including racket abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct, the overall financial impact remains relatively limited at this stage of the Championships.

Serena and Venus avoid sanctions despite media breaches

Following her first-round singles defeat to Maya Joint, Serena Williams opted not to attend the mandatory media obligations required by tournament rules. Under normal circumstances, refusal to participate in post-match press conferences can result in fines of up to $72,000, depending on severity and circumstances.

However, Williams later cited a knee injury as the reason for her absence, referencing physical issues that also affected her participation in the doubles draw. Tournament organisers reportedly accepted the explanation, allowing her to avoid financial punishment despite the procedural breach.

“Serena tweaked her knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” Smoller told The Times, a British newspaper. “She left the site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match.”

Nearly four years after her last singles appearance at the 2022 US Open, Williams returned to Grand Slam action at Wimbledon as a wildcard entrant and produced a competitive performance against young American Maya Joint. However, it was not enough to advance, as she exited in the opening round.

The injury later prevented her from participating in the women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus, where they were set to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in their opening match. Venus Williams also featured briefly in the mixed doubles draw with Kevin Krawietz, but the pair were eliminated in the first round by Lloyd Glasspool and Tereza Mihalikova.

Following that match, the duo also skipped their scheduled press conference, although no official explanation or reported injury has been provided publicly regarding their media absence.

Fines across racket abuse, audible offence and conduct violations

Beyond the high-profile cases, the fines list includes multiple disciplinary categories covering standard tour code violations. Players were sanctioned for racket abuse, audible offences, and unsportsmanlike conduct, with individual penalties ranging between approximately $2,500 and $7,500.

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Among those fined were Henrique Rocha and Corentin Moutet for racket abuse incidents, while Hamad Medjedovic and Noma Noha Akugue were sanctioned for audible offences during their matches. Meanwhile, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Damir Dzumhur received penalties related to unsportsmanlike conduct.

The publication of the list reflects Wimbledon’s continued enforcement of its code of conduct, particularly in the early rounds, where emotional intensity and match pressure typically generate the highest volume of infractions.

Michal Samulski

@MichalSamulski

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The fines list has been released. #Wimbledon

4:30 PM · Jul 5, 2026

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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