The outburst by Serena Williams at the US Open was not the first time a tennis player has let off steam on court. So why all the tantrums?
When Serena Williams was dubiously penalised for a foot-fault when two points away from defeat, she could contain herself no longer.
Tennis tantrums are nothing new
She twice unleashed a tirade at the lineswoman and match officials intervened to award a point to her opponent, Kim Clijsters, effectively handing her the match and a place in the US Open final.
Earlier, Williams had been reprimanded for smashing her racket on the court.
In a sport where ill temper reached its apogee in the early 1980s antics of John McEnroe - why do there seem to be so many outbursts?
Former top British player Andrew Castle says that due to the intensity of the game, all tennis players suffer from bursts of anger that they ultimately have to keep under control.
"Most tennis players are just like any fit, young, wound-up people. But controlling your emotions is what training is about, what being a professional is about."
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