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Wimbledon is charging into its thrilling second week after early rounds knocked out top seeds like Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Jessica Pegula, and Daniil Medvedev. July 1 almost matched the infamous “Black Wednesday” of June 26, 2013, when five top-20 players—including Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic, and John Isner—retired or withdrew mid-match. But beyond the upsets, the Grand Slam’s pressure has sparked fiery moments, with players lashing out and facing hefty fines. On the ATP side, one player’s explosive outburst has especially grabbed attention.

An X user shared a hot take on the current highest fined ATP player: “British doubles player Henry Patten tops the fines list so far at @Wimbledon with a $12,500 fine for verbal abuse. Adrian Mannarino was second-highest at $6,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.” While details on Henry Patten’s fine remain under wraps, the Briton is shining at this year’s tournament!

Patten and his Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara are the defending Wimbledon champs! On July 4, the 28-year-old secured the men’s doubles title with Heliovaara, skyrocketing his ranking from 69th to 14th, having peaked at 12 in August. Their win was one of four titles they’ve claimed in the past year. Though they fell in the semis of last week’s ATP Tour finals in Italy, Patten and world number 16 Heliovaara have firmly cemented themselves among the doubles elite.

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Despite Patten’s hefty fine, the list of players fined at SW19 isn’t as long as you might think. Still, it includes big names like Serena Williams and Nick Kyrgios! Williams made her mark—literally—racking up two £7.9k ($10k) fines for smashing rackets and damaging the grass, once in a 2016 match and again in 2019 during practice. Not alone in her temper, Britain’s Heather Watson faced an even larger £9.5k ($12k) fine for similar grass damage in 2016.

Then there’s tennis’s ultimate bad boy, Nick Kyrgios. At Wimbledon 2019, he piled up $11,500 in fines for his fiery antics: $3,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct against Jordan Thompson, and another $5,000 after a heated spat with umpire Damien Dumusois over Rafael Nadal’s slow play, despite the 25-second rule.

While Patten hasn’t spoken about his fines or what landed him in trouble, his coach, Calvin Betto,n has!

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What’s your perspective on:

Is Wimbledon losing its prestige with outdated tech and player controversies overshadowing the sport?

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Patten’s coach calls out Wimbledon for its lack of equipment

Last year, before Henry Patten’s breakthrough Wimbledon title, Calvin Betton shared candid views on players, coaches, and wins. Active on X, Betton recently criticized tournament organizers for poor equipment during night matches. He said, “It’s 2024, and it’s the most prestigious tournament in the world. There’s huge money and ranking points at stake, and consequences from those ranking points. And you’ve got matches being played in almost complete darkness. It beggars belief.”

Betton highlighted Wimbledon’s issues go beyond the weather, pointing to outdated technology. He cited the Daniil Medvedev controversy, saying better tech like at the US Open could have avoided a harsh exchange. Known for sharp outbursts, Betton spares no one—from Emma Raducanu to Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios—while coaching Patten to success.

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This year, Patten and partner Harri Heliovaara won the Australian Open in January. They’re now in Wimbledon’s Round of 16, facing Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jordan Thompson, who recently withdrew from singles against Taylor Fritz.

Can they reach the quarterfinals? Time will tell. In the meantime, catch every key moment from the Championships on our Live Blog!

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Is Wimbledon losing its prestige with outdated tech and player controversies overshadowing the sport?

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