In tennis, it’s one thing when the on-court action is affected due to fans at major events. Remember how, during the Australian Open in January, Danielle Collins had a long-running interaction with the crowd during her encounter against local favorite Destanee Aiava? The situation aggravated to such an extent that Collins even yelled, “Shut up!” at them. She then even mocked them after defeating Aiava. Going back further, we can find the 2022 incident featuring Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon. He engaged in a heated interaction with a fan in the stands. The US Open is also known for having a rambunctious crowd – especially during night games.
But how can you define the level of annoyance when the official commentators, involved in a broadcast, tend to cause an unwanted disruption? That’s what Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs has brought to light, raising fingers over a former American ATP pro and WTA star Emma Raducanu’s current coach.
In an episode of her podcast ‘You Almost Had Him,’ dated May 20, Stubbs mentioned how she witnessed a very annoying situation during the Italian Open in Rome. The Masters event took place for two weeks and ended on Sunday. Stubbs has been a commentator herself in multiple tournaments. And she’s very particular when it comes to following basic rules during live matches. Especially when it comes to the timing of commentary itself. She thinks it’s not necessary to keep talking constantly – and definitely not when the points are being played.
Stubbs began saying that, “If I’m in the middle of a conversation, I will stop before the start of the point. And if anyone says I don’t do that, that is crap. I’m a big believer in not talking over the point.” It was the beginning of her eventual criticism of two fellow commentators she witnessed commentating at the Italian Open – ex-American pro Jimmy Arias and Mark Petchey. The latter is a former British pro and also Emma Raducanu‘s current trainer. So how come they bothered Stubbs so much that she took to her podcast to bluntly call them out?
Mentioning instances from Rome, she revealed, “I don’t know what was going on. Him (Arias) and Mark Petchey were just having a waffle on for a lot of the points that were going on. I’m like, ‘Guys, you’ve got to have more discipline than that. Your context and what you’re saying was awesome.’ Everything they were saying was right. Everything they said was good. Both of them are great.” However, the one thing they simply lacked was “discipline,” Stubbs believes. “You can’t talk over the point. It really, really bothered me this time.”
Her reason for getting so frustrated at them is because “it happened over and over and over again. And I was like, what is happening? Are they having seizures?” She admitted that both Arias and Petchey “were great with the analysis. But guys, you can’t talk over the points.”
Expanding on her frustration, she said, “It was p*****g me off. And sometimes it happens when you are calling from a booth. In another country, like I’ve done the Olympics from Connecticut, and I’m calling it in Tokyo, I’m calling it in Brazil or whatever, you know, the last one was in Paris. There are times we have a time lag and the same thing happens to us in Australia. We have a bit of a time lag with it going back to Connecticut and coming back to Australia.”
She pointed out that as commentators, one has to be attentive while “getting our words out because the points already started. But in the States, the point isn’t finished. It’s like, it’s not easy to do it, right?” However, Stubbs mentioned that in the case of Arias and Petchey, “they were in Rome. They were actually there. So they were watching the match live. So I’m like, there is no excuses for you guys to be talking over the point.”
But guess what? This isn’t the first time Stubbs has shared an unapologetic take. Remember how she took world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka under the scanner last month? Why so?
When Aryna Sabalenka’s sarcastic side annoyed Rennae Stubbs
Aryna Sabalenka going after her team is nothing new. She tries to be sarcastic whenever she ends up on the losing side. Remember how the three-time slam queen took funny shots at her coaching camp when she failed to pull off a three-peat in Melbourne earlier this year? At the Australian Open, the Belarusian was looking in great form to lift a third straight trophy after 2023 and 2024.
However, American star Madison Keys stunned Sabalenka. In the final battle, she outperformed the world No. 1 with a scoreline of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 and won her maiden Grand Slam.
In the post-match presentation ceremony, Sabalenka thanked the crowd while reflecting on the result. “The Australian Open is like my home tournament; thanks to everyone for your support,” reported Punto de Break back in January. But then she also decided to mock her camp with a funny reaction. “Should I say something to my team? As always, it’s your fault, guys. I don’t want to see you next week; I hate you.”
However, she quickly backtracked on her words and extended her gratefulness. “No, really, thank you so much for what you do for me and blah blah blah. No, I think we gave our best. Madison played amazing, I really couldn’t do anything in this match. Next time we face each other, I will play better tennis. And I want to send love to my team. I love you even though I lost.”
While it all may seem normal to others, Rennae Stubbs was the one person who didn’t really like Sabalenka’s sarcasm. And her annoyance grew further after the Belarusian expressed a similar reaction in Stuttgart last month. In the final, she failed to win the trophy and a car, a Macan Turbo, from Porsche. She really wanted to have it but Jelena Ostapenko beat her eventually and also took home the car alongside the prize money.
During the post-match presentation, Sabalenka addressed her team, saying, “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.”
Watching this, Stubbs was left displeased. According to her, Sabalenka went too far with her wit and willingness to be funny. In an episode of her podcast from last month, Serena Williams’ ex-coach said, “I’m really tired of her going after her team when she loses with sarcasm; I’m over it.”
Continuing further, she added, “You just got to thank your team or not and just stop giving them s**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.” What are your thoughts on Stubbs’ honest takes? Do you agree with her perspectives? Let us know in the comments below.
The post “Are They Having Seizures?” – Commentary Controversy Erupts Around Emma Raducanu’s Coach and Ex-American Pro in Rome appeared first on EssentiallySports.
