‘Trust Your Instincts..’ – Serena Williams’ Former Coach Dishes Out Guiding Words as She Expresses Desire to See More Women Step Into Her Shoes

Although best known for her coaching stint with 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams, former Australian WTA star Rennae Stubbs was quite successful on the tennis court in her own right. After having won 6 grand slam titles in women’s and mixed doubles categories in her career as a player, Stubbs moved on to coaching, where she found even greater success. Stubbs made a name for herself by virtue of her coaching endeavors with not only Serena Williams, but also other WTA stars like Eugenie Bouchard, Karolina Pliskova, and Samantha Stosur.

However, Stubbs believes that there still is a considerable dearth in the number of female coaches in professional tennis. She hopes to see a lot more women step up and also has some advice for all the women trying to break into the coaching world, especially in tennis.

Rennae Stubbs’ encouraging words for aspiring female coaches

The 52-year-old Australian has garnered vast experience and much success as a coach in the WTA circuit. She was part of the coaching team of the legendary Serena Williams during the last lap of her illustrious career that ended at the US Open in 2022. Despite her success as a coach, Stubbs believes that there aren’t enough opportunities for women to take up coaching roles in the world of tennis, and feels that this profession is primarily dominated by men. In an interview with The Courier Mail, she encouraged aspiring female coaches to break the barriers and step forward to take charge.

“And the women that get asked to do it don’t be afraid to say ‘Yes’ because some people in that situation are probably a little bit unsure if they can handle it and, as I said, all the crap that would come their way.. You know as a female in a high-profile situation like that, boy oh boy, if you fail, you are never going to hear the end of it and the people that will come behind you will suffer as well because of it so there is a lot of expectation and there is a lot of pressure on them.. But I would say, ‘Put your hand up, do it and trust your instincts’ and I think the best things will come from that opportunity”, she advised.

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This wasn’t all. Stubbs also went on to mention how she was sidelined even after a successful partnership with Serena Williams last year.

Stubbs was disappointed with lack of opportunities post stint with Serena Williams

Serena Williams retired from competitive tennis after playing last year’s US Open. She fared pretty well in the tournament before falling short to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. In Williams’ corner was Rennae Stubbs, an integral part of her coaching team. However, much to her dismay, Stubbs didn’t receive any offers or phone calls for further coaching opportunities after Serena Williams’ retirement. Stubbs didn’t hold back while talking to The Courier Mail, as she revealed that she didn’t receive a single phone call, nor was she approached by any agent with coaching opportunities for other tennis players. This came as a major shock to Stubbs.

Her words underscore a significant issue concerning the state of professional tennis at the present moment. As Rennae Stubbs highlighted, she thinks elite female coaches still aren’t getting the opportunity they deserve. Do you agree with Stubbs’ assessment regarding the same? Let us know in the comments.

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