{"id":275045,"date":"2025-04-27T14:04:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T14:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/serena-williams-ex-coach-rennae-stubbs-shuts-down-bullying-accusation-after-andrea-petkovics-controversial-iga-swiatek-remarks\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:44","slug":"serena-williams-ex-coach-rennae-stubbs-shuts-down-bullying-accusation-after-andrea-petkovics-controversial-iga-swiatek-remarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/serena-williams-ex-coach-rennae-stubbs-shuts-down-bullying-accusation-after-andrea-petkovics-controversial-iga-swiatek-remarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams&#8217; ex-coach Rennae Stubbs shuts down &#8216;bullying&#8217; accusation after Andrea Petkovic&#8217;s controversial Iga Swiatek remarks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4894041\" data-slug-id=\"2493921\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Serena Williams&#8217; former coach Rennae Stubbs has dismissed the &#8216;bullying&#8217; accusations against her following Andrea Petkovic&#8217;s controversial comments about World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Stubbs and Petkovic are close friends and run \u2018The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast\u2019 together.<\/p>\n<p>Swiatek has been going through a rough patch in recent months, with her last appearance in a tournament final dating back to the French Open last year. Lately, she has suffered back-to-back exits in the quarterfinals and semifinals, the most recent being a quarterfinal loss in Stuttgart.<\/p>\n<p>In light of that, Petkovic, a former tennis pro herself, had some advice for the Pole. Speaking on the Becker-Petkovic podcast, which she hosts alongside Boris Becker, she suggested that Swiatek should smash a car with a baseball bat, scream into a plastic bag, and party with Carlos Alcaraz in Ibiza to help recover from her struggles.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Fans on X (formerly Twitter) weren\u2019t pleased with the German\u2019s comments and dragged Rennae Stubbs into the conversation as well, calling her a &#8220;bully&#8221; over remarks she had made days earlier on her podcast.<\/p>\n<p>Stubbs, who previously coached the legendary Serena Williams, was baffled as to why her name was being linked to the Andrea Petkovic and Iga Swiatek situation, especially since she hadn\u2019t made any comments about the five-time Grand Slam champion.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSo you tag me in reference to Petko\u2019s Iga comments. Then you say, u weren\u2019t referring to Iga. Say i bullied someone else? I mean confusing is an understatement at this point. Also try and understand the difference between bullying and critiquing one\u2019s game,\u201d the former doubles specialist wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>On the latest episode of her podcast, Rennae Stubbs criticized the way Sabalenka addresses her team after losing.<\/p>\n<h2>Serena Williams&#8217; ex-coach Rennae Stubbs makes controversial comments about Iga Swiatek&#8217;s arch-rival Aryna Sabalenka<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2025 Qatar Open | Image Source: Getty\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1116\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2025 Qatar Open | Image Source: Getty\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/04\/6be22-17457619006214-1920.jpg?w=640\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201116%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2025 Qatar Open | Image Source: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Aryna Sabalenka recently suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final of the Stuttgart Open to Jelena Ostapenko, marking her fourth defeat in a final there. During her runner-up speech, she talked about missing out on a Porsche once again and teased her team, saying:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEvery year, my team (is) hoping to get the car, and we\u2019re going to drive it in Miami. Not this year. So, no car for you guys. Ha ha. You\u2019ll have to buy one.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Stubbs later shared her thoughts on the matter during a conversation with Caitlin Thompson on her podcast, saying:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m really tired of her going after her team when she loses with sarcasm, I&#8217;m over it.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;You just got to thank your team or not and just stop giving them sh*t because it&#8217;s so passive aggressive and it&#8217;s a little annoying. And then she tries to laugh, and everyone&#8217;s like, &#8216;Oh no, it&#8217;s not funny.'&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Both Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are currently competing at the Madrid Open and have advanced to the fourth round. They faced off in last year&#8217;s final, where Swiatek came out on top.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/808665-1715417143-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;Pritha Ghosh&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nPritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda&#8217;s tennis &amp; baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.<\/p>\n<p>Pritha\u2019s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of &#8220;GOAT&#8221; Steffi Graf\u2019s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double checks credible sources, such as the tournament\/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required. <\/p>\n<p>Pritha&#8217;s journey at Sportskeeda is marked by nearly 2000 articles and close to 12 million views, with the &#8220;dream-come-true&#8221; moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka. <\/p>\n<p>When she&#8217;s not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics &#8220;nerd&#8221; by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/prithaghosh2911-1\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Pritha Ghosh<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/tennis\/news-serena-williams-ex-coach-rennae-stubbs-shuts-bullying-accusation-andrea-petkovic-s-controversial-iga-swiatek-remarks\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Serena Williams&#8217; former coach Rennae Stubbs has dismissed the &#8216;bullying&#8217; accusations against her following Andrea Petkovic&#8217;s controversial comments about World No. 2 Iga Swiatek.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":275046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275045"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}