Rennae Stubbs Responds to Backlash Over Comments on Novak Djokovic’s Retirement
Rennae Stubbs recently addressed the criticism she faced after making a controversial statement about Novak Djokovic’s potential retirement. She revealed how her comments were taken out of context and clarified the true intent behind her words.
Novak Djokovic is one of the most successful tennis players of all time, boasting 24 Grand Slam titles and an impressive 428 consecutive weeks at world No. 1. Alongside multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles, ATP Tour Finals victories, and an Olympic gold medal, Djokovic’s career achievements are truly remarkable.
Reflecting on these accomplishments during an episode of the *Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast*, Stubbs commented on Djokovic’s retirement prospects, stating,
“He has got all the records, there is no reason for him to play anymore.”
This statement sparked backlash from Djokovic’s fans, who felt the comment was dismissive of his ongoing career. On a subsequent episode of her podcast, Stubbs opened up about what she really meant and how her words were misrepresented.
“These people that take out little snippets from our podcast, and then they put it up as a headline,” Stubbs explained (5:39 onwards). “Like, this is what she said. And it was kind of along the lines of me saying that Novak Djokovic should just stop and there’s no reason for him to keep playing because he’s not winning anymore, right? Sort of paraphrasing. It was not at all what I said. It never is.”
She continued, “He doesn’t need to keep playing in tennis anymore, because he’s achieved everything. When you’re the greatest player of all time, who’s won the most Grand Slams of all time… my words, of course, they take that one line and then they put it up as a headline. And then, of course, 65,000 Serbians decide to go after me for saying something like that—taken out of context.”
Stubbs added, “It drives me crazy. Then you say, well, just ignore them. And that is all true—I could ignore them. But the point is those comments are taken out of context. If you kept going on my comments, my next comment was, I hope he keeps playing. We love him in the draw.”
Rennae Stubbs Suggests 2026 Australian Open as Djokovic’s Ideal Farewell
In another episode of her podcast in September, Stubbs shared her thoughts on Djokovic’s future following his semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. She expressed that the 2026 Australian Open would be the perfect tournament for Djokovic to conclude his illustrious career.
“I feel like the Australian Open is going to be his last major tournament to play,” Stubbs said. “I don’t think he wants to keep playing after that and have to go through the French Open. He is so good on every surface but I can’t see him beating these guys over five sets on clay and then to go to Wimbledon again.”
Stubbs elaborated on why the Australian Open holds special significance, noting that it was where Djokovic’s Grand Slam journey began, making it an ideal place for his farewell.
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By addressing the backlash head-on, Rennae Stubbs provided valuable context to her original comments, showing respect for Djokovic’s legacy while sharing her perspective on his future in tennis.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-65-000-serbs-decided-go-me-rennae-stubbs-hurt-response-novak-djokovic-fans-crazy-misrepresentation-comments
