“Why????” – Serena Williams’ coach goes off on Canadian Open organizers after Ben Shelton slips & risks serious injury in SF
Serena Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, took aim at the Canadian Open after a scary moment involving Ben Shelton sparked concerns about safety. Shelton faced Learner Tien in the semifinal round when he slipped at the end of the court.
When the American tennis player rushed to the back of the court to return a shot, he slid on the green mat near the wall. His leg appeared to get caught in the surface, disrupting his movement and causing him to stumble. Shelton was forced to put his weight against the wall. Although he was able to regain his balance and continued playing, the incident raised concerns about the players’ safety and conditions on the court.
Stubbs took a slam at the Canadian Open organizers and asked to remove the mat as soon as possible.
“Why???? Why is there a mat on the back of the court???????? Please dear god removed it,” Stubbs wrote.
Ben Shelton is the only ATP Top-10 player still in contention at the Canadian Open. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner announced their withdrawal, while Alexander Zverev made a first-round exit.
Ben Shelton opens up on why he is playing well at the Canadian Open
Ben Shelton entered as the defending champion and fifth seed at the Canadian Open. He reached the final round without losing a single set. In the press conference ahead of the semifinal, he was asked for his opinion on his impressive run. He stated that the court conditions and tennis balls suit his style of play. Further, he mentioned that the courts in Toronto last year were similar, which helped him perform well now.
“I think it’s a combination of the court and the balls. It’s a slow hard court, but it bounces really high. Makes my serve really effective, but also I feel like gives me time to create and generate with my ground strokes. I think that a combination of all those things makes me difficult to play, especially if I’m returning well and able to get into the other guy’s service game. I felt a lot of the same things in Toronto last year. I think that the courts play pretty similar, which is great. And, yeah, I think it’s kind of a culmination.”
Ben Shelton saw off Jenson Brooksby, Zizou Bergs, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, and Learner Tier to advance to the final round, where he will lock horns with Brandon Nakashima, who defeated Rafael Jodar in the previous round.
