Amid PTPA's lawsuit against ATP & WTA, Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs says tennis players should know they 'signed up' for a hard life

Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams's ex-coach, has given an opinion on the PTPA lawsuit that is dominating world tennis. The suit has been brought by the Professional Tennis Players Association, a body devised by Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, and other players. They've sued the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA, alleging those organizations have exploited players.

All four have disputed the allegations and vowed to aggressively fight the suits. Among other claims, the PTPA alleges, per Reuters, that the professional tennis schedule is unsustainable, that matches are scheduled in adverse conditions and times, and that players' privacy rights are undermined by random drug testing.

Rennae Stubbs, who played on the WTA tour for 19 years, shared her thoughts on X (formerly Twitter). She stressed that while professional tennis is difficult, the rewards are worth the grind, and the players know what they've signed up for. She posted:

"Being a successful pro tennis player is hard. Long stints away from home (especially Aussies), injuries, tough emotional moments, loneliness, hard grinding physical work and mental fortitude. But it’s what u sign up for and u know what u can get out of it if u work hard enough."

Stubbs won four Major doubles titles in the 2000s, before swapping her racquet for punditry and coaching. She was an analyst at the Channel Seven Network before switching to ESPN. She's also the host and creator of the "The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast".

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Rennae Stubbs's experience on tour and in the media makes her a respected voice in the game

The Championships - Wimbledon 2011: Day Five - Source: Getty

Rennae Stubbs is an outspoken commentator on social and political issues, as well as tennis. She's never shy about expressing her opinions on a range of subjects. As a former world No. 1 doubles player and one-time coach of 23-time Major winner Serena Williams, her views count.

In 2011, her last year as a professional, Stubbs gave an interview to www.susanzaro.com, in which she talked at length about the difficulties of being a tour player:

"When you are young it’s easier because your body responds. Yes, physically it’s tough, really tough. It’s a long season. Sometimes you see players working a lot at the start of the year and then at the end they are just trying to maintain their health. I think tennis players are selfish and in their own world."

Stubbs has 48,000 followers on X, and alongside her good friend Martina Navratilova, she's known the tour for more than 30 years. However the PTPA suit plays out, Stubbs can be relied upon to give her forthright views on the state of the game.