The Grand Slam Committee handed down a record fine of $175,000 to Serena Williams and threatened barring her from competing at an upcoming edition of the U.S. Open, among other penalties for her on-court behavior at the 2009 U.S. Open. Click here for the full text of the press release. ... << MORE >>

Now we know, thanks to a preview of Andre Agassi's autobiography OPEN to be released on Nov. 9 by publisher Alfred A. Knopf, that the player's low point in the rankings (No. 141) was much, much lower than it looked. We now have greater context to see where Agassi came from in order to see how far he's come. ...<< MORE >>

Williams has displayed a protective shell of denial, as she has done for the last six years in press conferences. She provides pat, innocuous answers. She lets no raw emotions (positive or negative) show. She shows no vulnerability.<< MORE >>

It's been four years since wildcard Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open. Fresh-faced and fit, the wife and mother has intertwined happy-go-lucky with her unbending work ethic to strike a harmonious and effective chord on court. Chris Evert, Stefanie Graf and Angela Buxton—all champions and mothers—contemplated Clijsters run and wondered if they coulda, woulda, shoulda done the same. ...<< MORE >>

The View, Good Morning America, and The Real Housewives of New York City all were represented at a fancy dinner and awards ceremony at Cipriani's on 42nd Street last night. Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Roberts, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin posed for photographers before taking their places at the round tables. It was like any awards show, except that Joan Rivers wasn't on duty to critique and crack jokes about guests' ensembles. The TV set wined, dined and then observed intently as other stars were honored.<< MORE >>

Turns out the Mother Nature IS on the USTA's side: CBS and ESPN2 scheduled key women's matches in primetime, boosting exposure of the U.S. Open.<< MORE >>

Both Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi were fixtures at the U.S. Open for many years. This time, it was their humanitarian efforts that brought them to New York. Graf discussed what it's like to work alongside her husband.<< MORE >>

Three lady legends within three hours. And that was by noon. Today I had the pleasure and privilege of catching up with three lady legends—Chris Evert, Stefanie Graf and Angela Buxton. Here is Part I with Evert, whose day started at 5 a.m.<< MORE >>

TV, film and movie celebs are hitting the U.S. Open, yet tennis stars are hitting midtown.<< MORE >>

Surely some of the amazing matches of this fortnight—like John Isner's five-setter over Andy Roddick or Melanie Oudin's three-setter of Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova—will provide some of the greatest memories of the 2009 U.S. Open. While nothing beats watching history being made in real time, there are several tennis books and films out that capture famous moments, bring to light the journey in hopes of becoming famous, and anecdotes that produced wisdom. ...<< MORE >>