Jessica Pegula finished off a great week by beating Elina Svitolina to win the Dubai title.
It was Pegula’s fourth WTA 1000 crown.
But Rennae Stubbs found something about the event that did not sit right with her.
Her frustration was not directed at either player or their play on the day.
Instead, it was how the post-match ceremony was handled that drew her criticism.
Rennae Stubbs unhappy with how trophy presentation was handled
Stubbs took to X to share her frustration, commenting on what she had noticed throughout the Dubai Tennis Championships.
“When are these tournaments going to just let the winner and runner-up speak at the microphone and not ask questions!! drives me crazy!! Let them thank their team, thank the sponsors, thank the crowd, etc. don’t ask questions,” she wrote.
Responding to a comment that disagreed with her point of view, the Aussie explained why she felt so strongly about it from a player’s perspective.
“As a former player in this situation I can tell you, there is not 1 player that prefers this! Because they don’t get to say what they want after busting their butts all week AND they might NOT understand the Q because of language barriers. This should always be about them, Period!” she added.
This is not the first time Stubbs has been outspoken recently. Just over a month ago, she suggested Taylor Fritz needed a new coach if he wanted to compete with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Jessica Pegula’s path to the Dubai title
While Stubbs was not pleased with how the post-match presentation was handled, Pegula would have been far more focused on her result than anything that followed.
And given the form she showed throughout the week, it was a title she fully deserved.
Pegula opened her tournament with a solid win over Varvara Gracheva and then followed it up by easing past rising star Iva Jovic.
Clara Tauson pushed her to three sets, but the 31-year-old American came through that test before overcoming Amanda Anisimova in another hard-fought contest.
By the time she reached the final, Pegula looked in complete control. She dominated Svitolina to wrap up a very impressive week.
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