Venus Williams has been fined $3,000 by tournament organizers for not attending her press conference on Monday after her match. Press conferences are compulsory for the top players after each match in a tournament, but Venus failed to attend hers after a disappointing opening defeat to fellow American Sloane Stephens 7-6 6-1. It was the fifth time out of the last thirteen grand slam appearances that Williams had been defeated in the first round. It was also the second time in three years that she had been defeated in the first round of Roland Garros.

Instead of attending a conference to discuss her defeat with the media, she issued a short statement. “When you arrive at any tournament, you hope you will have a chance to work your way into the event, but I didn’t have that opportunity. She just played better than me today.”

On Monday night, it was reported that Williams had left Roland Garros, as she had not been announced to have a press conference scheduled. She was aware that skipping her conference would indeed result in a fine. On Wednesday morning,  a representative for the International Tennis Federation confirmed that Williams' actions would, in fact, result in a fine of $3,000.

All top players have an obligation to attend press conferences, so incidences of not showing up are rare. There have been 17 fines issued at grand slams since 1990. It is essential for the media to be able to access information directly from the players after matches to avoid rumors and false material. Players have a responsibility to attend, and refusing to do so harms the publicity of the sport.

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