Expectations can get the better of the players, sometimes at the sport’s highest level. American sensation, Coco Gauff, who was dubbed the favorite to win the Australian Open, suffered a similar fate after her exit from the tournament. Gauff went down fighting against a high-flying Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals, ending her 13-match winning streak. After her defeat, many fans took to social media to drop in their thoughts about Gauff’s playing style, which didn’t go down well with Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs.
During the post-match press conference after her defeat, Gauff slammed people commenting about her playing style and said, “Most of the internet coaches never coached anyone at my level. Or never even played. It’s easier to look on the outside. Even I’m watching I do that. I’m proud of myself and can’t control others’ expectations about me”.
However, this began a debate on social media, and one of the fans even called her out for off-court distractions. Stubbs strongly objected to the fan’s remarks and reacted with a stern message.
She wrote, “Ed, u really have no idea what u’re talking about. This young woman works her b**t off, her technical flaws at times are her obstacle but to claim her focus isn’t in the right place & she’s not focused on being better, are ridiculous. Her comments here are exactly 2 people like u.”
Ed, u really have no idea what u’re talking about. This young woman works her butt off, her technical flaws at times are her obstacle but to claim her focus isn’t in the right place & she’s not focused on being better, are ridiculous.
— Rennae Stubbs
(@rennaestubbs) January 22, 2025
Soon after she emerged on the tennis circuit with big wins over players like Venus Williams, Gauff has been a subject of constant criticism over her playing style. Over the past year, when things weren’t going her way, and she was serving poorly, many fans constantly advised her about her playing technique on social media, something which hasn’t gone down well with her. As a result, Gauff felt that enough was enough, and she strongly slammed the so-called ‘internet coaches.’
While things didn’t go her way in the quarterfinal battle against Badosa, Gauff admitted to working on her game. However, she knows what she has to do to improve her game.
Coco Gauff points out the frustrating part
A superb backhand volley and a crushing forehand winner gave Badosa the crucial break against Gauff in the first set. While the second set was more evenly contested, Gauff’s unforced errors, particularly on her forehand (41 in total), proved costly. Badosa seized the opportunity, pulling away and clinching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal victory. This has been a recurring issue for Gauff and has also become a common factor in her losses.
While she has identified the areas of concern, the American sensation wants to keep improving her game. Following her loss to Badosa, she revealed, “I feel like (at the) U.S. Open, I was playing with no solution, so that was more the frustrating part. Today, I feel like I’m playing with solutions; I know what I need to work on. U.S. Open, I needed to work on my serve. So I want to continue working on that, continue working on playing aggressive.”
While it was a disappointing loss for Gauff, Badosa is flying high at the Australian Open and has reached her first Grand Slam semifinal. She will face World Number 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the last four.
The post ‘Works Her B**t Off’ – Serena Williams’ Ex-coach Defends Coco Gauff as She Blasts Fan Over Inappropriate Remark appeared first on EssentiallySports.
