Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs highlights Iga Swiatek's 'horrific' play after Danielle Collins bemoans lack of credit for Rome win

Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs recently wrote about Danielle Collins' victory against Iga Swiatek in the third round of the 2025 Italian Open. Stubbs' brief assessment of the match came in response to a fan seemingly criticizing Collins for saying she wasn't appreciated for playing the match well. According to Collins, the media focused more on Swiatek's poor display than on the American's performance.

Recently, a Swiatek fan on X (formerly Twitter) posted a picture of Collins that also featured a quote from the former WTA No. 7, which revolved around her win over the Pole in Rome. The American made the remarks during an interaction with Tennis Channel following her first-round win over Sofia Kenin at the ongoing 2025 Internationaux de Strasbourg.

"I thought I played really well against Iga, I didn't get a ton of credit for it. Like, after the match, it's just more about how poorly she played and everything," Collins said.

The fan's caption, "GIRL-", hinted at disapproval of Danielle Collins' opinion.

Australian former women's doubles No. 1 Rennae Stubbs, who coached Serena Williams for the 2022 US Open, took notice of the fan's post and responded to it. Stubbs hailed Collins' performance against Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Italian Open. However, she also opined that on the day, the Pole was far from anywhere close to her best.

"She played UNBELIEVABLE in this match! Flawless! But Iga also played HORRIFIC. Both can be true," Stubbs wrote.

Swiatek herself admitted that her loss to Collins in Rome was a result of her own 'absence' when it came to fighting and competing with the American.

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"I'm not doing things right" - Iga Swiatek after a crushing defeat at Danielle Collins' hands in the Italian Open 3R

Iga Swiatek (left) and Danielle Collins (right) shake hands at the net after the conclusion of their third-round match at the 2025 Italian Open (Source: Getty)

At a post-match press conference following her 1-6, 5-7 loss to Danielle Collins in Rome, Iga Swiatek turned critical of herself. The Pole's damning self-criticism came on the back of not just her defeat at the hands of the American in the Italian capital, but also other poor performances this year that have seen her drop to No. 5 from second position on the WTA Tour's singles rankings.

"Well, I think I just wasn't there to present to, like, fight and to compete. I focused on my mistakes. It's my mistake and I'm not doing things right. So yeah, the focus is on the wrong things from my side and I'll try to change that," Swiatek said.

Collins chose to participate in the Strasbourg Open following her fourth-round exit from Rome. The American's campaign so far in Strasbourg has been going strong. She sealed her spot in the WTA 500 event's third round with a win over Emma Raducanu. In the third round, she will lock horns with Anna Kalinskaya. Meanwhile, Swiatek has already begun her preparations for her French Open title defense.