Fines seem to be something of a redundant punishment in the realm of professional sport.

Even when hit with the most serious of financial sanctions, most elite athletes will barely notice the difference in their bank account.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder this type of punishment rarely achieves the intended purpose of deterring repeat offences.

Tennis players are particularly guilty of being happy to break rules at the expense of four-figure fines, and certain individuals at the 2018 Australian Open have failed to prove otherwise.

CoCo Vandeweghe received a $10,000 fine for her verbal assault on Timea Babos, whereas Borna Coric was forced to part with half that amount after smashing his racket versus John Millman.

It’s safe to say the new season hasn’t got off to the most civilised start considering the behaviour on display during round one of the opening major.

But just in case there was any doubt in that regard, Mischa Zverev has just been slapped with the biggest fine in Grand Slam history.

The German has been accused of an unprofessional performance after retiring from his first-round clash against South Korean Chung Hyeon after just 48 minutes.

WHAT ZEVEREV DID WRONG

According to the Guardian, Zverev is expected to cough up a staggering $US45,000 after tapping out with the score at 6-2, 4-1 in favour of his opponent.

Despite citing a viral illness as the reason for his early departure, the authorities clearly didn’t buy it.

Following similar high-profile incidents involving the likes Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic in recent years, Zverev was bound to have an example made of him.

It’s a remarkable contrast to the man who strung together a fairytale run to the quarter-finals at his first Australian Open appearance last year.

While winning plenty of admirers along the way, Zverev pulled off the biggest win of his career against then-World No. 1 Andy Murray before succumbing to Roger Federer at the last.

But instead of repeating the effort 12 months later, the 30-year-old is sure to remember this year’s trip Down Under as one of the worst ventures he can remember.