"So confusing" - Serena Williams' ex-coach raises concerns about Aryna Sabalenka's game despite her Cincinnati Open win over Emma Raducanu

Aryna Sabalenka's skills were recently questioned by Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, even after her triumph against Emma Raducanu at the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian athlete is now gearing up for her upcoming match in the tournament.

Sabalenka locked horns with Raducanu in the third round of the Cincinnati Open, where they experienced a terrific head-to-head showdown that lasted for 3 long hours. After a tough contest, the Belarusian succeeded in getting the better of the Brit with a 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) win.

The Belarusian's game was analyzed by Stubbs, who raised concerns about the player's form despite her feat. Calling her error confusing, she took to her X handle and wrote:

"The errors that Sabalenka makes sometimes is just so confusing."

Following this, one of the users on X came out in support of Sabalenka, writing:

"Maybe because Emma is playing so well? Could be that."

Replying to this, Stubbs emphasized Raducanu's skills, as she wrote:

"Unforced errors. Easy balls. Very different than when someone that’s forcing you into them."

Shortly ahead of this, Rennae Stubbs supported Aryna Sabalenka while she received a fitness attack amid her absence from the Canadian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka opened up about her clash against Emma Raducanu at the Cincinnati Open

Aryna Sabalenka sat for a post-match interview after her clash against Emma Raducanu at the Cincinnati Open, where she fielded questions surrounding the ins and outs of her match against the Brit. The Belarusian revealed that after this match, she came to a realization about her age due to the demanding conditions.

Talking about how her opponent looked while competing, she said: (1:42 onwards)

"The whole time I've been thinking this is what they call aging. I was like, 'This is how it feels to be old.' I looked at Emma and she was pumped and ready to play the next point and I was still trying to recover my breath. I was like, 'What's going on?' I couldn't believe I'm getting old. I looked at Jason (fitness coach), didn't say anything, but we need to do something because I'm getting old," Aryna Sabalenka said.

She further opened up about how she got her breath in control while breathing, saying:

"I was just trying to control my breath. I was just trying to do those slow exhales, just make sure I can breathe normal. And I was hoping that I'm going to be able to stay there in these conditions and get the win," she added.

Ahead of the Cincinnati Open, Aryna Sabalenka competed in Wimbledon, where she delivered some impressive performances to reach the semi-finals; however, she couldn't advance further than this round after being bested by Amanda Anisimova.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua