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Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has criticized Martina Trevisan for her "pathetic" handshake with Noma Noha Akugue after being beaten by the German in the 2023 Hamburg European Open quarterfinals.
The 19-year-old Akugue has been having a dream run at her home tournament. She has reached the semifinals of the Hamburg European Open in what is her WTA main draw debut.
In the quarterfinal match, Trevisan took the first set 7-5 after breaking her opponent's serve at 5-5 and holding her own. However, Akugue kept her composure to take the second set 6-4 and the third 7-5 to seal her berth in the last four.
Neither player was particularly dominant on serve, with 17 breaks in the match.
Noma Noha Akugue defeated Laura Pigossi of Brazil (7-4, 6-4) and Storm Sanders of Australia (0-6, 7-6(2), 6-4) in the first and second rounds, respectively. She will face Russia's Diana Shnaider in the semifinals.
Akugue was seemingly shocked at reaching the semifinals, a significant career milestone for her, and she approached the net in tears for the customary handshake with Trevisan.
While many in the tennis world praised Akugue for her resilience, some criticized Martina Trevisan for what looked like a cold handshake at the net. Rennae Stubbs voiced her disapproval of the Italian's conduct on social media, slamming it as "pathetic."
"And I’m sorry that was a pathetic 'hand shake'fif that’s what u call it from Trevisan! Bloody hell, the kid legit beat u and she’s in tears walking to the net and u barely shake her hand. Not approved!!!" Rennae Stubbs tweeted.
Martina Trevisan's struggles on the 2023 WTA Tour continue with Hamburg Open QF loss
Martina Trevisan would have hoped to turn her season around at the Hamburg European Open after a series of underwhelming performances throughout the year.
Last year, the Italian won her first WTA title at the Rabat Grand Prix and entered her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open. However, in 2023, she failed to defend her points at both tournaments.
At the 2023 Rabat Grand Prix, Trevisan lost to Julia Grabher in the quarterfinals via walkover. She then exited the French Open in the first round, losing to eventual quarterfinalist Elina Svitolina.
The 29-year-old's best performance this year came at the Miami Open in March, where she reached the quarterfinals.
Martina Trevisan's slump has seen her drop down to World No. 76 in the WTA rankings.
