Argentinian teenager Luisina Giovannini has been hit with a staggering £15,000 fine after retiring only 17 minutes into her US Open qualifying match.
The world No 198 managed to complete just five games against Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti before informing the chair umpire that she was unable to continue because of an injury.
Giovannini, 19, had endured a nightmare start to the first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows on August 24, with Bronzetti racing into a commanding 5-0 lead.
The match was then brought to an abrupt conclusion before the opening set could be completed.
However, Giovannini’s early withdrawal has proved extremely costly after tournament officials issued her with a $20,000 fine, equivalent to approximately £15,000.
That penalty accounts for more than 60 per cent of the prize money she received for appearing in the opening round of qualifying.
Giovannini was awarded $32,000, or roughly £24,000, for reaching the last 128 of the preliminary competition.
After the fine is deducted, she will be left with only $12,000, approximately £9,000, from her brief US Open campaign.
Details of the punishment emerged when tennis authorities released the complete list of fines imposed during the tournament on Monday afternoon.
Grand Slam rules require every player to compete to a professional standard whenever they take to the court.
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The official rulebook states: “All players are expected to perform to a professional standard in every Grand Slam tournament match.”
It also gives the tournament referee the power to impose a significant financial penalty when they believe that requirement has not been met.
The regulations continue: “If in the opinion of the referee the player did not perform to the required professional standard, the referee may determine that the player be subject to a fine of up to first-round prize money.”
Competitors are additionally required to make their “best efforts to win a match when competing in a Grand Slam Tournament”.
Any player found to have breached that rule can be fined as much as $50,000.
Giovannini’s punishment did not reach that maximum figure, but its size means the teenager has lost the majority of her earnings from the final Grand Slam event of the year.
She was not the only player to receive a notable financial penalty during the tournament.
British star Arthur Fery was also named on the list after being fined $5,000 following comments directed towards the chair umpire during his first-round defeat.
That sum was deducted from the $140,000 earned by Fery for his participation in the main draw.
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