Travel is an unavoidable part of life for professional tennis players. They are always on the move, hopping from one tournament to the next. But sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Even World No. 2 Alexander Zverev recently found himself in a travel nightmare. He flew to Argentina for the Buenos Aires Open, but his bags? They somehow made it to the Maldives instead. Baffled by the mix-up, Zverev joked that his luggage must have needed a vacation. Now, Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs has joined the list of tennis figures facing travel troubles.
With Indian Wells nearing its end, players and commentators are already shifting their focus to the next big stop—the Miami Open, set to begin on March 21. Stubbs has already arrived in Miami, but she is not exactly thrilled about her journey. The former Australian tennis pro wasted no time in calling out the Miami International Airport. She took to X and wrote, “#MiamiAirport is by far an away the single WORST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD! By a mile!!!!”
#MiamiAirport is by far an away the single WORST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD! By a mile!!!!
— Rennae Stubbs (@rennaestubbs) March 15, 2025
This isn’t her first airport-related frustration. Just last month, on February 25, Stubbs had another travel mishap while waiting for her baggage at Newark Airport in New Jersey. She had called out the slow baggage claim process, writing, “@AirCanada @EWRairport has got to be the worst baggage speed of all time! Legit 40 min waiting for bags.”
Rennae Stubbs is known for being outspoken on social media, and this time is no different. While she is physically in Miami, her attention is still on Indian Wells, where a young star is making headlines.
Serena Williams’ ex-coach reacts to Mirra Andreeva’s historic feat
On Friday, March 14, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva shocked the tennis world once again. She took down 2-time Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open. It was not even her first win over the World No. 2—just weeks ago, she had defeated Swiatek in Dubai. This time, Andreeva’s 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 victory in Indian Wells secured her a spot in her second consecutive WTA 1000 final. The Russian teenager has now won 11 matches in a row, building on the momentum from her breakthrough title run in Dubai.
The secret behind her success? The guidance of coach Conchita Martinez. Since the 1994 Wimbledon champion joined Andreeva’s camp in mid-2024, the youngster has soared. She reached the French Open semifinals, claimed her first two career titles, and cracked the top 10 in the world rankings.
Rennae Stubbs responded to Andreeva’s rise on X with a pointed comment. The former coach wrote, “I guess women CAN coach!”
The Australian’s remark speaks to a larger issue in professional tennis. As of 2023, women made up less than ten percent of the coaches in the Top 150 singles and 50 doubles players on the Hologic WTA Tour. That statistic says a lot. Conchita Martinez, however, has been changing the narrative. Before working with Andreeva, she coached former World No. 1s Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova. She even briefly mentored Czech player Marie Bouzkova before accepting her current role. Stubbs, too, has an impressive coaching resume. She has worked with stars like Karolina Pliskova, Samantha Stosur, and Eugenie Bouchard. Most notably, she was part of Serena Williams’ coaching team during her farewell run at the 2022 U.S. Open.
As the Indian Wells tournament comes to a close, Andreeva will now face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Sunday. On the men’s side, Holger Rune takes on Daniil Medvedev, while Carlos Alcaraz goes up against Jack Draper in the semifinals on Saturday. Who will emerge the victor? What do you think?
The post Days Ahead of Miami Open, Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Fumes Over a Travel Nightmare That Left Her Frustrated appeared first on EssentiallySports.
