Serena Williams’ former coach, Rennae Stubbs, recently criticized Patrick Mouratoglou for his comment backing the French Open scheduling. According to the Frenchman, the event holds its excitement factor mainly because of the male participants, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and others.
His comment came after players like Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, and others questioned the lack of focus slots for the women’s side of the game.
Rennae Stubbs Criticizes Patrick Mouratoglou for Supporting French Open Scheduling
Besides Coco Gauff’s impressive win over Aryna Sabalenka in the Roland Garros final, another issue drew significant attention from the tennis community. Players like Iga Swiatek, Gauff, and others voiced concerns over the unequal scheduling of men’s and women’s matches at the French Open, calling on the authorities to address the disparity.
While the tournament director didn’t spare a positive response, Naomi Osaka’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, stepped in to defend the organizers. According to him, most fans primarily tune in to watch the men’s matches.
“Most of the fans who go to the stadium are really not core fans of tennis.. they(fans) want to come back home and say ‘I saw Djokovic’ or ‘I saw Alcaraz’. If they come back and say ‘I saw Swiatek’, it’s not the same,” he said.
Resharing the quotes on their X account, a fan slammed Mouratoglou for his harsh take.
“i hate when men open their mouths,” the fan wrote.
i hate when men open their mouths https://t.co/suVoNUtMTL
— Lisa (new acc) 🧚🏻♀️ (@lisa_talking_) June 7, 2025
To this, Stubbs responded:
“Imagine a guy that is only know because he coached a woman. I could say more but I won’t.”
imagine a guy that is only know because he coached a woman. I could say more but I won’t.
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) June 7, 2025
However, this wasn’t the first time Stubbs slammed Mouratoglou with her comments. In 2024, the Australian ex-pro expressed her disagreement with the renowned mentor’s authority.
Read More: Naomi Osaka’s Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Fights Backlash Days After Controversial ‘Superstars’ Remark Involving Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Serena Williams
When Rennae Stubbs Disapproved of Mouratoglou’s Credit for Serena Williams’ Success
When Naomi Osaka’s partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou came to light, Stubbs didn’t back down from sharing her analysis about the Japanese player’s possible mindset behind choosing him. According to Stubbs, Osaka might have considered the Frenchman’s stint with Williams during which she attained 10 major wins.
“Well, she’s always looked up to Serena, so maybe she’s thinking that this is going to be her moment where she can pick up someone who has moulded the Serena Williams person,” she said, in the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast (14:13).
She further argued with the mindset, making it clear that it could have been any other coach to uplift Williams’ game.
“I would argue and say there’s a lot of coaches who could’ve made a huge difference in Serena Williams’ life. When he picked her up, she was in a bit of a slump, but anyone with a brain in their head knows that every player goes through slumps and someone as good as Serena was always going to bounce back,” she added.
Mouratoglou joined Osaka’s team back in September 2024. Her best result since then was recorded at the WTA 1000 events in Miami and Rome, where she made it to the top 16.
AloJapan.com