“Stop with the nonsense” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach shuts down claims of Coco Gauff intentionally ‘tanking’ to eliminate Iga Swiatek from WTA Finals

Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs has strongly rejected the unfounded accusations that Coco Gauff intentionally lost her match to Barbora Krejcikova at the 2024 WTA Finals in order to eliminate Iga Swiatek from the tournament. The allegations, which emerged following Gauff’s loss to Krejcikova, have been deemed baseless by Stubbs, who explained why the idea of Gauff deliberately tanking her match was not only illogical but highly implausible, especially considering the stakes involved for the young American.

At the 2024 WTA Finals, Gauff had already secured a spot in the semifinals after an impressive group stage that included victories over Jessica Pegula and, notably, Iga Swiatek. Swiatek, who had triumphed in the WTA Finals the previous year, found herself in a vulnerable position going into the final round-robin match of the group stage. While Swiatek had triumphed over both Barbora Krejcikova and Daria Kasatkina in her earlier matches, her hopes of progressing to the semifinals were largely dependent on Gauff defeating Krejcikova. Unfortunately for Swiatek, Gauff was unable to deliver, as she succumbed to a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Krejcikova in what many had expected to be a straightforward match for the American. This loss to Krejcikova meant that Swiatek’s semifinal dreams were dashed, much to her dismay.

Following Gauff’s loss, some fans and pundits speculated that Gauff may have deliberately lost the match to prevent Swiatek from advancing to the next stage of the tournament. These claims suggested that Gauff, by intentionally “tanking” the match, was trying to eliminate Swiatek from contention. However, Rennae Stubbs, who knows Gauff’s competitive nature intimately, has strongly refuted these allegations. In her view, it would have made absolutely no sense for Gauff to intentionally lose a match that had its own significant rewards at stake.

Speaking on her podcast, *Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast*, the Australian coach explained that the idea of Gauff strategically losing to Krejcikova was completely out of character for the American and lacked any rational basis. “Somebody wrote about, ‘Coco tanked the match against Krejcikova so Iga couldn’t get through to the semifinals.’ No, that’s not how it works,” Stubbs said, rejecting the premise outright. “First of all, Coco says, ‘I’m going to lose to Krejcikova and then have the possibility of playing Krejcikova again, or I’ve already beaten Iga, and now if I lose to Krejcikova, then I get to play Sabalenka in the semis. Yeah!’” she continued sarcastically. “No way, that’s not what she’s thinking.”

Stubbs emphasized that Gauff’s goal was far more focused on her own success and maintaining her unbeaten run, which would have resulted in a lucrative financial bonus. “She’s thinking, ‘I want to win again, I want to get more money into my pocket,’” Stubbs explained. “If she’d gone undefeated, she’d have made even more money. If you go undefeated, you get an extra bonus.” The coach made it clear that Gauff, who had already achieved a historic $4.8 million in prize money at the event, would have been focused on continuing her strong form, not on helping or hindering the progress of another player.

The notion of Gauff “tanking” the match also failed to consider the implications of her semifinal opponent. Gauff would have known that entering the semifinals with a loss would place her in a far more difficult position, as she would face Aryna Sabalenka — the World No. 1 and arguably the most dominant hard-court player of the year. According to Stubbs, it was “nonsense” to suggest that Gauff would have purposely set up a much tougher match by throwing her last round-robin match. “There’s no way you want to lose a match going into the semifinals, arguably playing against the best player on hard courts all year in Sabalenka,” Stubbs said. “So, stop with the nonsense. That is not what happened. She got beat and she was pissed about losing.”

Further supporting this view, Stubbs pointed out that Gauff’s visible frustration after the loss to Krejcikova was a clear indicator that she was not intentionally throwing the match. Gauff, who had been playing exceptional tennis throughout the tournament, was clearly upset by the defeat. “Coco was visibly upset after the loss,” Stubbs said. “She was pissed about losing.” For Stubbs, this was a clear sign that Gauff was highly invested in her performance and would never intentionally lose a match in such a high-stakes situation.

The loss to Krejcikova may have been a setback for Gauff, but it did not diminish the incredible success she had already achieved in the tournament. Gauff had been outstanding throughout the week, beating top players like Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek to seal her place in the semifinals, and her overall performance in Riyadh was a testament to her growth and resilience. Gauff’s loss to Krejcikova did not take away from the brilliance of her campaign at the WTA Finals, which culminated in her first-ever year-end championship title.

In contrast, Iga Swiatek’s journey at the WTA Finals ended in disappointment. Despite winning her group stage matches against Krejcikova and Kasatkina, she ultimately failed to reach the semifinals after Gauff’s loss to Krejcikova. Swiatek, who had entered the tournament as one of the favorites, spoke candidly about her performance after the group stage match against Gauff. “Well, for sure I wasn’t solid enough, and Coco used her opportunities much better than I did,” Swiatek admitted. Despite her 11-1 record against Gauff heading into the match, Swiatek found it difficult to overcome Gauff’s game. “I made more unforced errors, and when you play Coco, you know you need to be solid,” Swiatek said, acknowledging that even though she had a dominant head-to-head record, it was never easy to beat Gauff.

After the conclusion of the WTA Finals, Swiatek shifted her focus to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, where she would continue her campaign with Poland. Meanwhile, Gauff, having wrapped up a historic season with the WTA Finals title, took some well-deserved time off to relax and enjoy her victory, spending quality time with her grandmother in Florida.

In the end, Gauff’s victory in Riyadh marked a major milestone in her career, while Swiatek’s early exit from the tournament provided a moment of reflection on her own performance. As for the accusations of Gauff “tanking” her match, Rennae Stubbs’ expert analysis has firmly put those to rest, reinforcing the idea that professional athletes like Gauff are fiercely competitive and would never sabotage their own chances for personal or financial gain. The focus remains on Gauff’s remarkable achievement and her promising future in the sport.

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