Serena Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, accused a media outlet of misrepresenting her comments about Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal from the 2026 WTA Finals.

Rybakina last competed at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she withdrew from her quarterfinal match against Leylah Fernandez on Oct. 30 because of a neck injury. She subsequently pulled out of the WTA Finals on Saturday, just a day before the season-ending tournament began in Indian Wells, California. The WTA confirmed that the Kazakh withdrew due to a viral illness.

Rybakina also released a statement saying that her body was “not physically ready to compete.” Following her withdrawal, Stubbs questioned the 27-year-old’s decision to compete in Tokyo so close to the WTA Finals during her podcast, suggesting that the additional travel and competition placed unnecessary strain on her body. She also described some of Rybakina’s scheduling decisions as “wild.”

Stubbs further commented on the player’s physical condition, saying that she “looked like hell” before withdrawing from the tournament. A media outlet shared the coach’s comments on Threads:

“Elena Rybakina’s late WTA Finals withdrawal has drawn criticism from former world No 1 Rennae Stubbs. Stubbs questioned her playing the Pan Pacific Open, where she gave Leylah Fernandez a walkover in the quarter-finals on Friday, then pulled out of the season-ending event on Sunday with a viral illness. Stubbs said Rybakina went to Indian Wells but ‘looked like hell.’ before pulling out at the eleventh hour.”

Stubbs quickly responded to the post, accusing the outlet of presenting her comments out of context. She described its headline as “misleading” and urged the publication to include more of what she said on her podcast instead of highlighting just a couple of remarks.

“What a misleading headline! Why don’t u print everything i said instead of picking one of two lines from my podcast!”

View on Threads

Before competing at the Pan Pacific Open, Elena Rybakina had won the Ningbo Open, defeating Fernandez in the final on Oct. 25.

What did Elena Rybakina say about withdrawing from the WTA Finals?

Following her late withdrawal from the WTA Finals, Elena Rybakina addressed her absence through a statement released by the WTA. The Kazakh expressed disappointment at missing the season-ending tournament and explained that she needed time to rest and recover before the 2027 campaign.

“I am really sad to inform all my fans and supporters that I unfortunately have to withdraw from the WTA Finals this year. I’ve had an incredible season but my body is just not physically ready to compete. I’m going to spend some time resting and recovering at home and getting myself ready for the 2027 season,” Elena Rybakina said in a statement released by the WTA.

Rybakina enjoyed an outstanding 2026 campaign, winning the Australian Open and U.S. Open to claim two Grand Slam titles. She also lifted trophies at the Stuttgart and Ningbo Opens and secured the year-end World No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.