"What a joke" - Serena Williams' ex-coach reacts to Mark Philippoussis being fined for breaching betting sponsorship rules

Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has criticized the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) decision to impose a hefty fine on Mark Philippoussis for breaching betting sponsorship rules.

Philippoussis, a two-time Grand Slam finalist who is now a coach, has been fined $10,000 and issued a four-month suspended ban after receiving payment for providing a voiceover for a gaming company's promotional content.

Taking to social media on Wednesday, July 26, Stubbs reacted to the ITIA's punishment for Philippoussis.

"what the hell! I mean really?? what a joke!," Rennae Stubbs wrote.

As per the latest ITIA guidelines, it has been declared that accredited individuals should not hold commercial relationships with betting companies.

"As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies given their potential ability to influence matches, access to inside information, and therefore the perception of such relationships," said ITIA CEO, Karen Moorhouse.

However, the officials have maintained that Philippoussis' act was not one of corruption but a warning to players and coaches to remain conscious of the betting rules.

Whilst this case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of. Our message to players and others covered by the TACP is that you can always talk to us if you are unsure of any rules, or are seeking clarity on any potential commercial arrangement," Moorhouse added.

The ITIA also stated that Philippoussis cooperated well during the investigation and that the four-month ban will not come into effect if the Australian does not breach any rules during the specified period.

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Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs appeals for ATP investigation on Hugo Gaston for retirement facing match point

Rennae Stubbs at the 2022 US Open

Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has appealed to the ATP to investigate Hugo Gaston for retiring while facing match point in his first-round match at the Internazionali di Tennis Challenger.

Gaston squared off against Marco Trungelliti in the first round on Wednesday, July 26. The Frenchman was 2-5, 0-40 down in the deciding set. Instead of playing out the match point, he controversially retired from the match.

Stubbs questioned Gaston's unsportsmanlike act and opined that ATP should investigate the matter.

"ATP Tour, you have to ask the question. How can a guy not play one more point if he's not injured to the point of screaming and rolling on the ground with a catastrophic injury!" Stubbs wrote on Twitter.

Stubbs was part of Serena Williams' coaching team at the 2022 US Open. She has also worked with Karolina Pliskova, Eugenie Bouchard, and Samantha Stosur.