“How To ‘Be Hailey Baptiste’”: that was the headline splashed across tabloids just last month after Hailey Baptiste stunned Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid. In the piece, tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg broke down the qualities that make Baptiste such a dangerous opponent on court.

The American carried that same fearless energy into the French Open and looked poised for a deep run in Paris before an injury scare suddenly halted her momentum. But what followed next was an ugly wave of backlash online, with critics listing ‘things Baptiste needs to change,’ and shockingly, body-shaming comments sat right at the top of that conversation. However, amid the negativity, Baptiste appears to have found support from Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs.

After the WTA shared a clip of Hailey Baptiste’s horrific injury on its X account with the caption, “Hailey Baptiste moment of injury #RolandGarros,” social media quickly turned chaotic. While many fans expressed concern, others began criticizing the American’s body weight and blamed it for the injury.

One user commented, “She needs to lose weight. Not trying to be insensitive, but that type of thing could have been prevented with lower BF%,” directly body-shaming Baptiste.

That comment immediately drew a furious response from former Serena Williams’ coach Rennae Stubbs, who strongly defended Baptiste against the criticism online. “🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬do you know how many women tear their ACLs in sports!! like this is such a stupid comment to make!!! go do some research! ugh!!! the insensitivity of this comment just got me!!! 😡😡😡” she wrote.

The criticism continued in the same thread when another fan added a similar comment, adding, “Absolutely. The extra body weight added so much pressure to the landing,” once again blaming Baptiste’s physique for the injury. Stubbs fired back again without hesitation, replying, “and u!! youre just as stupid!”.

For context, the devastating moment happened during the opening set at 5-4 when Baptiste suddenly collapsed to the ground in visible pain against the Chinese opponent. Although she managed to stand afterward, officials had to help her leave the court while holding her left leg horizontally.

There is never a good time for a serious injury. However, this one feels especially heartbreaking considering the momentum Baptiste had built recently.

The American had arrived in Paris after recording the biggest victory of her career at the Madrid Open, where she stunned the world by defeating the current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka after saving six match points in a dramatic battle.

Even her opening-round win over Barbora Krejčíková at Roland Garros, where she again saved match points, highlighted the resilience and fighting spirit that she had recently. 

And in contrast, Stubbs’ response also came as no surprise to longtime tennis followers, as the former doubles world No. 1 has consistently spoken against unfair criticism across social media platforms for years now.

Rennae Stubbs slams X users over cruel criticism beyond tennis discussions

Over the years, Rennae Stubbs has never limited herself only to tennis discussions, often sharing opinions on politics, climate change, and broader social issues on social media.

For instance, two years ago, her X account frequently featured posts connected to American politics and global concerns alongside occasional sports-related commentary from the Aussie veteran.

One of her posts read, “After an absolute heartbreaking loss, this is what I call a masterclass in humility and class. I hope the Brewers win the WS with this man as manager.”

While many appreciated her honesty, not all the fans felt Stubbs should restrict her public opinions strictly to tennis and avoid discussing political or social matters on her platform.

Some users even suggested that she should return to Australia and focus on coaching players instead of commenting on issues related to the US government.

However, Stubbs has never been someone who quietly backs away from criticism, especially when she feels strongly about expressing her views publicly without any pressure.

“Anyone who tells me to “stick to tennis” gets an immediate block! The fact that people think someone can’t have opinions on other things in life outside of their “profession or expertise” is unreal to me! But yet you’re the type of people to stick ur nose in everyone’s biz!,” wrote Stubbs in one Tweet.

Even this year as well, she again found herself involved in another social media debate following the Madrid Open final and the treatment of Mirra Andreeva after her loss.

Stubbs criticized the tournament communications staff for approaching the emotional finalist too quickly while the 19-year-old Russian was still processing the heartbreaking defeat after the match ended.

“The WTA communications person coming up to Mirra to talk about the ceremony and all that, while she is crying in her towel a minute after her loss! Oh my god… please give her a minute!” she wrote. 

Now, with Stubbs once again defending Baptiste against body-shaming comments online, fans are once more witnessing the raw, fearless, and unapologetic side of the outspoken Aussie.