“It’s not funny anymore,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach says she’s irritated by Aryna Sabalenka’s speeches after losses

Aryna Sabalenka finished as runners-up at the Stuttgart Open for the fourth time in five years.

“It’s not funny anymore,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach says she’s irritated by Aryna Sabalenka’s speeches after losses

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Aryna Sabalenka's X handle)

Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive form so far this season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She performed well but couldn’t get past Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the WTA 500 tournament. However, something Sabalenka said during her runners-up speech didn’t sit well with Serena Williams‘ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs.

Sabalenka was seeking to win back-to-back WTA titles in Stuttgart after she lifted the Miami Open in March. The World No.1 has reached three of the last four Porsche Tennis Grand Prix finals and was into her fourth on Monday (April 21). She didn’t begin the match at her best which gave Ostapenko an easy ride through the match.

Ostapenko has defeated Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and looked hungrier for the title. She began well and led Sabalenka 4-2 before the Belarusian broke twice to level the score. Nonetheless, she held her nerves well to win the match 6-4, 6-1. After the match, Ostapenko was full of praise for Sabalenka and her team, while the World No.1 slammed her team for losing and then revealed she was going to order a Porsche car like the one Ostapenko won.

Her speech didn’t go well with Rennae Stubbs, who revealed in her podcast that Sabalenka had become fond of blaming her team after every final loss. She added that the US Open champion has become annoying to listen to after championship match losses.

One thing I’m a little tired of with Aryna – and listen, we all love a little irony and craziness in speeches – but I’m really tired of the way she talks about her team with sarcasm after losses. I can’t take it anymore. Every time she loses, she’s like, “Hey, guys! Great job today!” and it’s not funny anymore. So I think you have to do something about that. You either thank your team or you don’t — but stop picking on them every time. It’s passive-aggressive and it’s a little annoying. And then she laughs, even though it’s clear she doesn’t find it funny.

Rennae Stubbs said via Rennae Stubbs podcast

Sabalenka will now hope to bounce back after Stuttgart’s defeat. The loss might possibly sting more than any other loss as it was her biggest chance of winning the title, having held a 3-0 lead against Ostapenko in their head-to-head record before the match.

Aryna Sabalenka hopes to forget the Stuttgart Open loss and focus on Madrid

Aryna Sabalenka would not have time to internalize her Stuttgart Open final loss before the Madrid Open. The World No.1 is in already in Spain preparing for the WTA 1000 tournament as she hopes to win again. It will be a challenging one because she finished as runners-up to Iga Swiatek last year. However, she hopes that she will forget the loss against Ostapenko and work harder in Madrid.

Aryna Sabalenka (4)
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via WTA/X)

Throughout my career, I have lost several finals that were hard to digest. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from it, it’s that you need a short memory to be a successful tennis player. My only plan right now is to forget what happened here and work harder to do better in Madrid.

Aryna Sabalenka said via Stuttgart Open Press

Sabalenka has won the Madrid Open twice in her career. She has over the years that she can compete against Iga Swiatek on clay. She has a great chance of claiming the title as Swiatek isn’t in her best form at the moment.

Aryna Sabalenka gets a tough draw at the Madrid Open

Aryna Sabalenka headlines the top half of the Madrid Open draw. The World No.1 is seeking for her third Madrid title after finishing as runners-up last year. She’s projected to open her campaign against a qualifier in the second round after earning a first-round bye. She’s then likely to face Elise Martens, who she defeated at the Stuttgart Open.

Aryna Sabalenka (2)
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/The Tennis Channel)

The Belarusian would face a significant hurdle from the Round of 16 until the final. She could play 15th seed Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round before a potential quarter-final clash against Qinwen Zheng or her friend Paula Badosa. Badosa has been in incredible form this season and looks likely to meet her.

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