Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs reacts to Madison Keys vs Aryna Sabalenka Australian Open final beating Sinner-Zverev final in TV ratings

Rennae Stubbs reignited the "equal prize money" debate after the Australian Open women’s final between Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka drew higher TV ratings than the men’s final featuring Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Stubbs coached the legendary Serena Williams during her final tournament at the 2022 US Open.

Last weekend, Keys defeated two-time defending champion Sabalenka to claim her first Grand Slam title in an emotional victory. On the other hand, Sinner successfully defended his title, denying Zverev his maiden Major in his third final appearance.

The TV ratings were intriguing. Samba TV’s data revealed that the women’s singles final not only set a viewership record but also outperformed both the 2024 men’s and women’s finals. The largest spike in views came from Australia, with a 55% increase, followed by Great Britain at 54% and the United States at 48%.

amba TV wrote on social media platform Threads:

"This weekend's Australia Open Women's Singles Finals between Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka drove more viewership than 2024, with massive spikes across Australia (+55%), UK (+54%), and the US (+48%)."

"Americans were also the only one of the three to watch the Women's Singles in larger numbers than the Men's Singles by a margin of 4% (due, of course, to Keys)," they added.

Following that, Rennae Stubbs shared her reaction, writing:

"Let's go ladies!!!!! Who wants to talk to me about equal prize money?"

Madison Keys' compatriot Sam Querrey left disappointed by men's tennis at Australian Open 2025

Sam Querrey at the 2023 US Open Pickleball | Image Source: Getty

Madison Keys' compatriot Sam Querrey was among many who expressed disappointment with the men’s tennis at the 2025 Australian Open, feeling it didn’t meet expectations. For him and others, the women’s matches were far superior to the men’s this year.

Querrey said on the latest episode of the 'Nothing Major' podcast (at 16:36):

"Honestly the entire men's tournament kind of s**ked this year. There really wasn't like a great match in my opinion! Alcaraz, Djokovic was fun but like I feel like you didn't have that."

He added:

"When we talk about this tournament in six months like oh what match do you remember you're not going to remember any of them Sinner separated himself on hardcourt from the rest of the field like a bummer from a fan's perspective almost."

After their successful campaigns in Melbourne, Keys will next compete at the Qatar Open in Doha, while Jannik Sinner has chosen not to defend his title in Rotterdam.