US Open star fined staggering $20,000 after withdrawing from match after 17 minutes
US Open star fined staggering $20,000 after withdrawing from match after 17 minutes
Thomas BristowWed, September 9, 2026 at 1:10 AM UTC
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Luisina Giovannini has been dealt a pricey punishment -Credit:2026 Getty Images
Luisina Giovannini has been slapped with a $20,000 fine after the 19-year-old's qualifying match at the US Open lasted a mere 17 minutes.
The 19-year-old played the first-round encounter on Monday, Aug. 24, in a bid to make it through to the main draw. But the World No. 198 suffered a disastrous day, winning a mere eight of 29 points.
Her opponent, Lucia Bronzetti, raced into a 5-0 lead, and it was at this point that Giovannini withdrew from the match. Throughout the encounter she had been wearing strapping on her left ankle. Upon going five games down, the teenager informed the umpire she could no longer continue. The contest lasted 17 minutes.
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It seems US Open bosses were less than pleased with Giovannini's total length of time on court and handed her a $20,000 fine. The code she was fined under was 'First-Round Performance'.
Her fine is the single-biggest punishment so far at this year's Grand Slam, double the next at $10,000, which went to controversial Frenchman Corentin Moutet. He, though, received a second fine of $5,000, taking his total penalties to $15,000.
For Giovannini, though, the $20,000 represents 60% of her total US Open prize money. Having earned $32,000 for making it as one of the last 128 qualifiers, she will leave this year's major with just $12,000 to her name.
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Belinda Bencic has been fined after she smashed a ball into the US Open crowd -Credit:Getty Images
As well as Giovannini and Moutet, another notable player fined was Belinda Bencic. The 29-year-old Swiss star smashed a ball into the crowd, hitting a fan, during her three-set loss to Yulia Putintseva.
The No. 12 seed's frustration boiled over after her serve was broken in the second set. Striking a ball in frustration, it flew over the barrier and smacked a fan. The spectator was unharmed and, at the time, Bencic escaped punishment.
Her actions prompted plenty of controversy due to the fact Novak Djokovic was disqualified on the spot for a similar crime six years earlier. Furious at dropping a service game in the first set to go 5-6 down, the Serbian smashed a ball in anger – only for it to hit a line judge in the throat.
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Despite pleading his case that it was a mistake, Djokovic was immediately DQ'd. The rulebook states that hitting an official that results in injury carries a mandatory default, regardless of intent.
While Bencic struck a fan, and not an official, there ere many who failed to see a difference. But while she got away with it at the time, US Open bosses have since given her a $5,000 fine.
The total number for fines so far at this year's US Open stands at $92,500.
Source: “AOL Sports”
