Fellow athletes are weighing in on her emotional reaction after the umpire issued a violation in the controversial match.
Twenty-nine years ago, tennis superstar and Houstonian Zina Garrison was in a similar showdown, beating crowd-favorite Chris Evert in the U.S. Open.
Garrison says Williams was simply standing up against sexism.
"The men, like Serena said, say a lot worse. Yes, she could have calmed down, but she was in the heat of the moment," Garrison said.
She adds she has known Williams since she was 7 years old, and she was defending her character.
U.S. Open officials hit Williams with fines totaling $17,000 for three violations.