Rennae Stubbs says Venus Williams made an honest comment when talking about Maya Joint’s win over Serena Williams, but the Australian tennis legend also admits that not many players would say it as directly as the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
In case you missed it, Venus kicked off her North American hard-court swing at this week’s Mubadala DC Open in Washington. And, to no one’s surprise, when speaking with the media before the tournament started, she was asked to share her thoughts on Serena’s display in her Wimbledon singles return.
Answering the question, Venus spoke very highly of Serena’s level and described it as “extraordinarily high.” The former world No. 1 also appeared to shade Joint by suggesting that the world No. 76 exceeded expectations and played above her usual level in a 6-3 6-7 (6) 6-3 win over the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
It is worth noting that Joint was 3-15 in 2026 before beating one of the greatest players of all time at Wimbledon.
“She (Serena) played stellar in that match. I think her level was so extraordinarily high. It was very unlucky. Sometimes you play players who are on fire, and they don’t seem to maintain that level afterwards,” the former world No. 1 said in Washington.
Stubbs: Players say much more in private… Venus didn’t say anything that wasn’t correct
Stubbs, who is part of Serena’s coaching staff, addressed Venus’ comments on the latest episode of her podcast.
Immediately, Stubbs said the elder Williams sister was “not wrong” in her comments. The former doubles world No. 1 then acknowledged that Joint was in poor form leading up to the match and noted that the world No. 76 lost to Alexandra Eala in the second round.
Stubbs also suggested that the only thing the elder Williams sister did was be extremely honest when revealing how she felt about the outcome of the match.
“What Venus is saying, I have no problem with her saying it. It was correct. Unfortunately, Maya went and lost the next match,” the Australian tennis legend said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
“There is so much that players or people don’t say in public that they want to say, which they say in their private lives, and it’s not just Venus. Trust me, you are getting one-fifth of what they really want to say about anyone.
“I think Venus is being very protective of her little sister, and I’m okay with it. She didn’t say anything that was not correct.”
When will Serena play again?
At the moment, Serena – who was forced to withdraw from her Wimbledon doubles campaign with her sister due to a knee issue – isn’t confirmed for any tournaments.
However, in Washington, Venus confirmed that she would love to play doubles with her sister at the US Open.
It remains to be seen if the Williams sisters will team up for the first time since the 2022 US Open at Flushing Meadows next month.
