Former Australian tennis player Rennae Stubbs recently criticized the just-concluded Atlanta Cup exhibition event, featuring top stars such as Naomi Osaka, WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Ben Shelton, and Aussie star Nick Kyrgios. The 54-year-old seldom minces her words and thinks that the event was less competitive, calling it a “joke.”
Rennae Stubbs Bluntly Criticizes the Atlanta Exhibition
The crowd awaited an evening filled with high-stakes tennis at Duluth’s Gas South Arena on December 6. Opening the action were two of the WTA’s marquee names, Sabalenka facing Osaka. The clash between the four-time Grand Slam champions was intense, with each claiming a set before Sabalenka sealed the win 10-4 in the tiebreak.
The second singles showdown came from the men’s field, featuring World No. 9 Ben Shelton against former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios.
Despite some resistance from the Aussie, the American youngster claimed the first set 7-6 and grew even more dominant in the second, taking it 6-3 and earning a much-needed win in front of his home crowd. Kyrgios, meanwhile, showed he has still got some gas left in his tank ahead of the 2026 season.
The action then shifted to mixed doubles, giving Sabalenka and Kyrgios their first chance to square off ahead of their upcoming singles’ clash at the Battle of Sexes on December 28. Teaming up with Shelton, Sabalenka secured the win over Kyrgios and Osaka.
Days after the exhibition wrapped up, former Australian player and pundit Rennae Stubbs offered a blunt assessment. The 54-year-old dismissed the event as a joke, arguing that the players never gave their best.
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“I think the Atlanta exhibition show was a bit of a joke. It wasn’t really competitive. They weren’t really trying,” she said in her podcast.“They kind of yucked it up a little too much there. I think it was a bit chaotic,” she added.
Stubbs has long been known for her forthright views, never shying away from expressing them. Last month, the Australian firmly opposed the upcoming Battle of the Sexes exhibition, arguing that the Sabalenka–Kyrgios showdown is driven more by commercial motives than any real intention to uplift women’s tennis.
Although the event offers a distinctive spectacle, it has faced substantial criticism from both fans and pundits. The highly anticipated event will take place on December 28 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.
AloJapan.com