Australia's Bernard Tomic returns to Germany's Mischa Zverev. Photo / AP
By Patrick Sawer and Rozina Sabur
This year's Wimbledon has seem some of the worst behaviour by players in recent years, figures for fines imposed so far during the championships have shown.
Tournament officials have handed out the second highest recorded financial penalty in Wimbledon's history, imposing a US$15,000 (£11,500) fine on Bernard Tomic for "unsportsmanlike conduct".
It came after the Australian admitted in a post-match Press conference that he had faked an injury during his straight-sets loss to the German Mischa Zverev in the first round, and that he was "bored" with Wimbledon.
And Daniil Medvedev was handed three individual fines totalling US$14,500 (£11,200) - the third highest amount since records began in 1991 - for unsportsmanlike conduct, when he threw coins at the umpire's chair on Wednesday.
The Russian was fined $4,000 as a warning for insulting the Portuguese umpire, Mariana Alvez; $3,000 for again insulting the umpire and $7,500 for tossing the coins at her chair. In just the first three days of this year's championships a total of $33,500 (£25,900) in fines has been handed out for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That compares to the total $93,500 (£70,700) handed out during the whole of last year's tournament and the $62,500 (£40,000) levied against players in 2015.
The fines highlight the pressure players are competing under at what is regarded as the world's greatest tennis tournament, with Grand Slam officials quick to crack down on any offence deemed to be against the rules and the spirit of the game.
Tim Henman, the former British number one and four times Wimbledon semi finalist, said: "Players are under greater scrutiny because the prize money has gone up."
He added: "I think one thing for sure the club have done a good job is really protecting the court. You smash your racquet on a grass court there'll be some unhappy groundsmen and you'll get some pretty big fines."
The money will be docked from the players' prize money, with Tomic losing a third of the £35,000 he earned for his first round appearance.
It comes as Andy Murray weighed into the row over players withdrawing from their first round games at Wimbledon and still picking up prize money by calling for changes to be made.
The Wimbledon champion said he hopes authorities intervene to stop the practise which has split opinion among players and commentators at the championships.
The row began on Tuesday after Roger Federer questioned rules which meant that players who started matches but then withdrew were still entitled to collect £35,000.
Two successive matches on Centre Court were cut short when the opponents of Federer and Novak Djokovic withdrew.
Tomic's fine exceeds that handed out to Heather Watson in 2016 when she was fined $12,000 (£9,000 at the time) for smashing her racquet against the court during her first-round loss to Annika Beck.
The highest recorded single fine in Wimbledon history remains that given to Fabio Fognini, who plays Murray on Friday.
He was fined $20,000 (£11,600 at the time) in 2014 for unsportsmanlike conduct, after he angrily threw his racket on to the grass, and a further £7,500 for shouting at the umpire and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Tomic's post-match confession that he summoned a doctor and trainer to court 14 as a strategy, when there was nothing wrong with him, on top of his comments about being bored with the championships, is understood to have infuriated officials.
The Australian player's behaviour also led to him being dropped by one of his two principal sponsors, the racquet manufacturer Head.
In a statement, Head said: "We were extremely disappointed with the statements made at Wimbledon by one of our sponsored athletes, Bernard Tomic.
"His opinions in no way reflect our own attitude for tennis, our passion, professionalism and respect for the game."
But Tomic said he would appeal against the fine, saying: "I was being honest. People are saying the fine is for calling for the doctor, but it's not. I don't think the fine is fair."
A contrite Medvedev apologised for his behaviour following his match, saying: "I was disappointed with the result. In the heat of the moment, I did a bad thing. I apologize for this."
He denied he had meant the coin tossing gesture to suggest he thought the umpire was corrupt, adding: "I don't know why I did it. I was frustrated to lose the match. Maybe there were some bad calls. It can happen in sports.".
The money raised from fines goes towards the Grand Slam Development Fund, which pays for tennis scholarships in developing countries. It was this system which produced Jelena Ostapenko, the unseeded Latvian player who went on to win the French Open this year.