Serena Williams may have defeated fellow American Christina McHale in the second round at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships on Friday, but that doesn't mean it was a breeze.
During the match, just after losing an opening-set tiebreaker, Williams hammered her racket into the court five times before tossing it backwards. The racket slid backwards, landing in the lap of a cameraman.
"I was just really angry," Williams told The Guardian after the match. "I had a lot of chances. [McHale] got really lucky on some shots. She just was playing great. I was a little disappointed in myself at that point."
Williams added that she was "in warrior mode."
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You can see the outburst in the vine, below:
After her outburst, Williams returned to the court to win the match and advance to the third round. She also signed the damaged racket and gave it to a fan.
“I’ve cracked a number of rackets throughout my career. I’ve gotten fined a number of times for cracking rackets,” Williams admitted after the game.
This time will be no different: Tournament officials fined her $10,000 for smashing and flinging the racket, reports The Washington Post.
She joked after the match, "I don’t want to go too long without cracking a racket. You know, I’m on track. I try to crack a certain amount a year. I’m a little behind this year, so it was good.”
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