"My God, can you stop talking" - Serena Williams' ex-coach frustrated with Naomi Osaka-Iga Swiatek match commentators at French Open
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs expressed frustration at the commentary during Iga Świątek and Naomi Osaka's second-round clash at the French Open. Swiatek defeated Osaka 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 and advanced to the third round.
Swiatek and Osaka have each won four Grand Slam titles in their careers. Osaka secured a hard-fought victory against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti in the first round at the French Open, winning 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, but couldn't edge past the Pole in the second round.
Meanwhile, Swiatek is aiming for a third consecutive French Open title this season. She arrived in Paris fresh off winning two straight WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. Swiatek comfortably defeated France's Léolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2 in the first round at Roland Garros to set up the second-round clash against Osaka.
Like many fans, tennis legend Rennae Stubbs was also tuned in for the match. However, one aspect of the commentary frustrated Serena Williams' former coach.
Stubbs criticized the Tennis Channel commentators for talking over the points while the players were actively playing instead of letting viewers focus on the match itself. She wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"I don’t know who’s doing the world feed on tennis channel for Iga and Naomi but my god can u you blokes stopping talking over the points."
It is a common practice for commentators to remain silent during points to let the viewers experience the sounds of the match, such as the ball hitting the racket and the players' movements and reactions.
Rennae Stubbs comments on Daniil Medvedev's late-night finish in French Open 1R
Rennae Stubbs is not one to shy away from sharing her thoughts on social media. The 53-year-old recently commented on Daniil Medvedev's challenging late-night match schedules following his first-round victory against Dominik Koepfer at the French Open.
Stubbs wrote on X:
"Once again @DaniilMedwed finishing after midnight! This dude gets the worst schedules 😂 .... But he just keeps chugging 👌"
The three-hour and eight-minute match concluded at 12:29 a.m., marking yet another late-night appearance for the Russian. He faced a similar scenario at the Australian Open, where he defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0 in a second-round match that ended at 3:40 a.m.
The World No. 5 has had an impressive season so far. Medvedev reached the finals of both the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters and advanced to the semifinals of the Miami Open, although he has yet to secure a title.
Medvedev hasn't claimed a Grand Slam since his 2021 US Open win. He aims to secure his second Major at Roland Garros, with Miomir Kecmanović as his opponent in the second round.