Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs unimpressed with Aryna Sabalenka's method of using sarcasm towards coaching team to cope with losses
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs took a dig at Aryna Sabalenka for being sarcastic towards her coaching staff during her speech after her loss at the Stuttgart Open. Sabalenka faced a shocking loss to Jelena Ostapenko as she fell to her mastery in the final on Sunday.
The 26-year-old has been known for her bold sense of humor and witty speeches during the trophy ceremonies. While receiving her runner-up award at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (also known as Stuttgart Open) she made a snide remark while thanking her team.
"Every year, my team hoping to get the car, and we’re going to drive it in Miami. Not this year. So, no car for you guys. Ha ha. You’ll have to buy one," she said. (1:43 onwards)
However, this comment displeased Stubbs who felt the tennis star went overboard with her wit to an extent that showed her coaching team in a negative light. On the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Podcast along with Caitlin Thompson, she said (24:05 onwards):
"I'm really tired of her going after her team when she loses with sarcasm, I'm over it."
She stated that the histrionics of Sabalenka were getting a little too overbearing, as Thompson added that she should respect them more as they are her paid employees.
"...you just got to thank your team or not and just stop giving them sh*t because it's so passive aggressive and it's a little annoying. And then she tries to laugh and everyone's like, oh no, it's not funny," Stubbs claimed.
Aryna Sabalenka had also made a sneering comment towards her team after her loss in the Australian Open final this year.
"This is your fault": Aryna Sabalenka to her team after 2025 Australian Open loss
Aryna Sabalenka faced a crushing loss to Madison Keys at the final of this year's Australian Open and was devastated. She displayed an array of emotions after her defeat, as she smashed racquets and broke down into tears.
During the post-match trophy ceremony, the star thanked everyone before coming to her coaches as she took a dig at them and expressed her desire not to meet them for some time.
“As always, this is your fault guys! I don’t want to see you for the next week. I really hate you," she said (via Tennis.com).
Even though her humor is not always well received by many, it is believed that she and her team share a great bond outside of their professional roles, leading to her poking fun at them at times.