Serena Williams' coach criticizes Sabalenka: "What she does is uncomfortable"

Carlos Navarro - 15 Sep 2026 | 16:38
Aryna Sabalenka WTA US Open 2026 Rennae Stubbs

Rennae Stubbs, on the bench with the younger Williams during her return, pointed out Sabalenka's behavior and did not hesitate to criticize it clearly.

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Sabalenka, brutally criticized for her behavior.

Aryna Sabalenka once again faced defeat in a Grand Slam final. This happened at the US Open 2026, where the Belarusian lost in the title match against a fired-up Elena Rybakina, who managed her nerves better and, above all, showed a higher level of tennis in the third set to deny the now former world number one a Major title that ultimately slipped through her fingers this season.

What stole the show shortly afterward was the behavior of the Belarusian after her loss. She did not cross excessive limits or exhibit uncontrollable rage, but she did express her frustration on everything within reach: she dropped her racket, insulted a camera operator, and showed in the award ceremony that she had no interest in actively participating in that event. One of these behaviors has been criticized by many, including Rennae Stubbs, a companion of Serena Williams in her return and one of the main analysts of the women's circuit.

The criticism Sabalenka faces for her recent behavior

The Australian was very clear in analyzing what the Belarusian did, clearly showing her discomfort with one of her actions in question: breaking her racket right at the end of the match, "stealing" the spotlight and star moment from the title winner. "It's not that I was a magnificent loser, but what truly bothers me, and I swear I've never done this, is breaking a racket in front of my opponent before going to shake hands. Unfortunately, this has happened with Aryna a couple of times, where she has broken a racket right in front of Elena before walking to the net to greet her,” the Australian pointed out in her podcast; she also emphasized that these behaviors are becoming recurrent in Sabalenka's career.

"When that happens, your opponent feels: 'Wow, should I step away or not,' and it's really uncomfortable. The same thing happened when she lost to Madison Keys in Australia: she literally smashed her racket before going to greet her at the net. Do what you did at another US Open: go to the gym and you can smash the racket if you want. However, you should do your best not to do things like that, something that takes away space from the winner. Yes, I understand it’s complicated, but try to reserve those scenes for moments off the court,” Rennae pointed out clearly, quite dissatisfied with Aryna's behavior. Do you agree with her?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La entrenadora de Serena Williams critica a Sabalenka: "Lo que hace es incómodo"