Serena Williams' former coach criticizes Badosa for her gesture in Iasi: "A real shame"

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Paula Badosa had two great weeks on clay. So much so that they allowed her to win her first title since 2024 in Bastad, then reach the final of the WTA 250 Iasi, from which she had to withdraw due to injury, and, last but most importantly, return to the Top 100 of the WTA ranking.

This return among the top one hundred female tennis players in the world ensures her official entry into the main draw of the US Open, so she can approach the North American hard court swing with less pressure and with the goal of continuing to display the good tennis of this past month, as long as injuries do not interfere.

Wow, Badosa threw her racket yesterday and was almost disqualified…

Horrible miss and she threw out her racket… Just missed the ball kids. Today she withdrew from the final…

😬 pic.twitter.com/vZXOeHIJmb

— SK (@Djoko_UTD) July 20, 2026

Badosa: A Mistake at the Net, a Racket in the Fence, and a Warning on the Brink of Disqualification

But despite all the positive news surrounding Paula Badosa, the Catalan found herself involved in a controversy during her participation in the WTA Iasi, specifically in the semifinal match. At the beginning of the third set, the Spaniard missed an easy shot at the net and out of frustration, threw her racket towards the advertising boards, almost reaching the stands. An act that could have led to disqualification but was reduced to a warning by the umpire.

Everything seemed to end there, other than a small stir on social media, until Rennae Stubbs, former coach of Serena Williams and winner of four Grand Slam titles in women's doubles, strongly criticized Badosa on her podcast, stating clearly that, in her opinion, the Spaniard should have been disqualified.

"It's an automatic disqualification. It was a real shame. You know that, as a player, when you let go of the racket, whatever happens next is your responsibility. It doesn't matter if it's 'bad luck'," Stubbs asserted, continuing to express her anger: "You had the racket in your hand and you let it go. If it ends up in the stands, you should be disqualified immediately; that's the only way to prevent it."

So far, there has been no response from Badosa and there might not be one. Currently, the Spanish player is in Hamburg to play one more clay-court tournament before switching to the hard courts of North America, aiming to continue climbing in the rankings and compete for another title. Tomorrow, she will make her debut against the Polish player Katarzyna Kawa, while in her section of the draw is Panna Udvardy, whom she coincidentally defeated in last week's quarterfinals at the WTA Iasi.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La exentrenadora de Serena Williams carga contra Badosa por su gesto en Iasi: "Una auténtica vergüenza"