"These players are weak": Handling of Australian Open conditions slammed by Rennae Stubbs as Jannik Sinner prediction made

Former tennis player and coach Rennae Stubbs and former world number nine Andrea Petkovic have labelled Italy’s Jannik Sinner as an ‘overwhelming favourite’ for the upcoming Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year will begin on January 12, where players from all over the world will participate to showcase their talent and secure an ultimate prize.

In that competition, Sinner, who is already regarded as one of the best men’s tennis players in the singles category in the world, along with the likes of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, will be defending his title. The San Candido-born lifted the title last year after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.

Former tennis players Stubbs and Petkovic have recently spoken in The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, where they called Sinner an ‘overwhelming favourite’ for the title this year at Melbourne. “Jannik Sinner, overwhelming favourite at the Australian Open,” said Stubbs who was the ex-coach of the former world number one Serena Williams.

In response to that, Petkovic said: “For me too. I think the Australian Open is made for him, in terms of surface, in terms of ball. I think he used to struggle there before he got incredibly physically fit and in shape, but now, even the temperature doesn’t seem to affect him. The only thing I see is, if we have a 42-degree type of day in Melbourne with the dry heat, he can turn a little ginger in the face as well as his hair.” Stubbs responded to the comment by claiming that if the temperature goes that high, the authorities will close the roof to accommodate ‘weak players’. “Yeah but guess what? If it’s that hot, they just close the roof mate. These guys are pussies, okay. Let’s face it, these players are weak,” said Stubbs.