'You Are A Pu**y': Alexander Zverev Brutally Slammed By Serena Williams' Former Coach
NewsWednesday, 28 May 2025 at 19:04
Alexander Zverev's comments about Lorenzo Musetti after their 2025 Italian Open clash were not appreciated by Rennae Stubbs, who harshly criticized the German.
Zverev's title defense in Rome ended after a 6-7, 4-6 defeat to Musetti. The ATP world No. 3 has never beaten the Italian in a completed match. His only success was when Musetti retired in their first meeting at the 2022 Madrid Open.
Since then, Zverev has lost three consecutive matches to him at the 2024 Paris Olympics, 2024 Vienna Open, and the recent contest in Rome. The Wimbledon semifinalist clearly knows how to disrupt his older opponent.
Many fans were unhappy about Zverev's remarks after the defeat to Musetti at his home tournament, where he said the 23-year-old relies heavily on defense, and seemed to compare him unfavorably by saying he tries to play much more aggressively.
The comments felt classless, but they were also strange since Zverev has been repeatedly criticized for playing passively, especially in important matches. Roger Federer is among those to say he needs to be more aggressive to win a Grand Slam.
Stubbs, a former doubles world No. 1 who coached Serena Williams at her final professional tournament, tore into Zverev in an episode of her podcast. She accused him of being more defensive with his forehand than Musetti.
"No man, your forehand – you are a bigger pusher [than Musetti] on that shot. And you hate playing Musetti because he slices to your forehand and you are 17 feet tall. You have the worst grip. You can’t get underneath it and you are a p***y when you don’t go for it."
Zverev also complained about the balls after being beaten by Musetti for a third consecutive time. He said they became heavy quickly, making it challenging to hit winners. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up also said they were different from those used at other events on clay.
Stubbs did not give Zverev any sympathy on that issue either. She said Rafael Nadal, who had a ceremony at the 2025 French Open, Novak Djokovic, or Roger Federer would not moan about the balls, and thinks that mentality will stop him from winning a major title if it does not change.
"That is why you are never going to be a great player. I mean, you are a great player, but you are never going to win a Grand Slam if you’re going to complain about the balls. When was the last time Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic complained about the balls? Like what?"
Although Stubbs's tone was extremely blunt, it is challenging to argue with her points. Zverev can get defensive on his forehand, especially under pressure, and complaining about the balls used at tournaments will not help his hopes of winning a maiden Grand Slam title.
A more light-hearted moment in recent days was Coco Gauff forgetting to pack her rackets for her opening round match against Olivia Gadecki. The likeable American poked fun at the incident after easily progressing to the second round.
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