Aryna Sabalenka’s frustration in the US Open final has led to a fine, while organisers did not penalise Venus and Serena Williams for missing a post-match press conference.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, struggled to contain her emotions throughout the match against Elena Rybakina and repeatedly showed her anger during and after the three-set defeat. Her most costly moment came after she was broken in the opening set following a double fault, when she hit a ball into the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and received a code violation.

That breach has now brought a $7,500 fine from the United States Tennis Association. The penalty is modest compared with the $2,800,000 cheque she collected for finishing runner-up. Her reaction did not end there. She later struck another ball toward the back of the court and came close to hitting a cameraman.

After the match, and after the customary handshake with Rybakina, Sabalenka went back to her bench and smashed her racket several times. She also told a cameraman to “f*** off” while waiting for the post-match presentation ceremony to begin. Even so, the only sanction imposed on her was for the code violation.

The Williams sisters, meanwhile, avoided punishment after declining to speak to the media following their first-round doubles loss. Venus and Serena entered the event via wildcard, with Serena appearing at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022, but they were beaten in three sets by Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint.

Although press conferences are mandatory at majors, the pair were not fined. The USTA’s statement after the match simply read, “Serena and Venus Williams will not be available for press tonight.”

Elsewhere, Luisina Giovannini received the largest fine of the tournament, a $20,000 penalty after her opening qualifying match was judged below standards. Corentin Moutet was the only player to be fined twice.

Alexander Zverev emerged as a deserving US Open champion this year, yet his routine between first and second serves has become a talking point at the Grand Slam.

Several players and observers have taken issue with the amount of time the German spends bouncing the ball before serving. Over the course of his seven matches in New York, Zverev reportedly spent two and a half hours bouncing the ball, a detail that especially irritated his final two opponents, Karen Khachanov and Ben Shelton.

“It doesn’t bother just me. It makes a lot of players uncomfortable because he takes so much time,” said Khachanov about Zverev’s serving routine.

Shelton also argued that the issue should be addressed through a rule designed to stop players, including Zverev, from taking excessive time between serves.

Not everyone sees the matter the same way. Mark Petchey defended Zverev’s motion in a social media post, pointing instead to other aspects of the German’s game. He wrote: “I love the fact that Alexander Zverev plays within the rules. One of the very few players who walks around the net after the first game and at the changeovers in tiebreaks.

“Serves within 25 seconds. The ball bouncing isn’t the issue. It’s the 70% plus 1st serves in that’s the problem for everyone. Overcome some absolutely brutal heartbreaking losses. Granite mentality and work ethic. Double Major winner in a season.”

Petchey then suggested that Zverev’s second Grand Slam title has placed him firmly on a Hall of Fame path, saying: “Hall of Fame career incoming,” said Petchey. “Congratulations Sascha.”

Zverev was asked about the bouncing during a post-match press conference at the US Open and said: “I have no idea why. I don’t do it on purpose,” said the German when asked about his potential timewasting. “I saw the statistic that I’ve bounced the ball around 12,000 times or something like that. It’s pretty funny. I’m not counting them in my head or trying to reach a specific number.”

He was due to feature in Davis Cup action for Germany against Croatia on September 18th, but he did not confirm his participation after winning the title. “I really, really would like to play in the Davis Cup,” said Zverev. “Everyone around me is trying to talk me out of it. But I will decide that tomorrow.”

Zverev’s last Davis Cup appearance for Germany came at last year’s finals, when they were eliminated in the semi finals by Spain.

John McEnroe has made a bold forecast about Alexander Zverev after the German’s 2026 US Open victory.

Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in Sunday’s final to claim his second Grand Slam title. The 29-year-old had already lifted his first major trophy at the 2026 French Open, and his season has also included a Wimbledon final and an Australian Open semi-final.

Before 2026, Zverev had gone 0-3 in Grand Slam finals, and he had often been described as the best player yet to win a major. McEnroe said the turnaround should not be viewed as a surprise, insisting the world No 2 had been “unlucky” to wait this long.

Speaking on ESPN after his final commentary duties, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion said: “He was arguably unlucky. He should have had a couple of majors before this,”

McEnroe then went further, predicting that Zverev could end the season as world No 1 ahead of Jannik Sinner.

“So, uh, karma works in crazy ways, and somehow, he’s gonna finish the year the number one ranked player in the world,” McEnroe continued.

He also praised the quality of the final, saying Zverev “was certainly the better player today” and describing the performance as “a really strong strategic match, as well as an emotionally intense match, as well as a physical match.”

After the win at Flushing Meadows, Zverev now has 9,690 ranking points, leaving him 1,810 behind Sinner at the top of the official standings. In the Race to Turin, however, Zverev is first with 8,650 points. Sinner, who missed the US Open because of a knee injury, is second on 7,950, Shelton is third with 4,430, and Carlos Alcaraz is fourth on 4,050 after reaching the quarter-finals in New York. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon with a right wrist injury.