Serena’s demure smile — after a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the U.S. Open women’s doubles final on Monday afternoon — and her insistence on ignoring the chance, in a public forum, to make a heartfelt and unequivocal apology for her meltdown two days earlier, cut into the value of her requests for forgiveness. Serena’s attempts to close this mishap resemble, at best, a Windows operating system release.

That Williams was docked only what turned out to be match point, and not disqualified altogether had the altercation taken place earlier in her match with Kim Clijsters, was the only reason she was allowed to participate in the doubles final. The $10,000 fine by the USTA should only be the tip of the iceberg, and the idea of punishing Serena by making her play is silly. Suspension from at least the year-end WTA Championships is a must.

“I want to amend my press statement of yesterday and want to make it clear as possible — I want to sincerely apologize first to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the US Tennis Association and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst,” Williams said via a statement Monday, hours after a Sunday night appearance on the MTV Video Music Awards, in which she made a tongue-in-cheek reference to “not stepping on any lines.”

“I’m a woman of great pride, faith and integrity and I admit when I’m wrong. I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately and it’s not the way to act — win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner.”

If that is so, she needs to admit handling the apology wrong, too.