Serena Williams adds Rennae Stubbs to her team for US Open swansong: Reports

Serena Williams has reportedly added six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs to her team as she gets ready for her last hurrah at the US Open

Serena Williams at the 2022 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati Photographer: Zuma / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

August 24, 2022

Reports from Flushing Meadows where players have already begun their preparations for next week’s US Open suggest that Serena Williams, who is expected to retire after the tournament, has added former world No 1 doubles player Rennae Stubbs as a coach/advisor to her team.

Serena Williams, who has been working with Eric Hechtman over the past few months after parting ways from long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou, announced earlier this month that she will be retiring over the new few weeks.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to the tour for her first singles match in over a year at Wimbledon and then also played in Toronto and Cincinnati as a lead-up to the US Open, which she has won six times. She won only one match in those three events.

Omg two of my favorites partnering for the #USOpen ! @rennaestubbs is coaching the GOAT @serenawilliams. Let’s gooooooooo!! pic.twitter.com/s6CgeIbG1y
— John Thrasher (@jthrasher) August 23, 2022

Morning practice in Ashe for Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari. Bashing the ball up the throat of the court.

Rennae Stubbs on court with Serena and coach Eric Hechtman #USOpen pic.twitter.com/xqMm96Hd4o
— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) August 23, 2022

Quick US Open Serena Notes:
• Partnering with Rennae Stubbs as her coach/advisor
• Played a practice set with Maria Sakkari this morning

Stubbs encouraged her to play sets versus top opponents this week instead of a hitting partner to get her used to match play.
— Tick Tock Tennis (@TickTockTennis) August 23, 2022

Stubbs comes with great experience as a top-ranked doubles player – winning four Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed-doubles titles. She was also ranked No in the world in doubles in 2000 and represented Australia at four successive Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008).

Besides being a leading commentator in the game, 51-year-old Stubbs has also coached other players in the past, including countrywoman Samantha Stosur, Karolina Pliskova and Eugenie Bouchard.

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