Serena Williams' Coach Reacts to Jessica Pegula's United Airlines Flight Ordeal

Rennae Stubbs, coach of Serena Williams, reacted with disbelief after American player Jessica Pegula publicly criticized United Airlines for poor communication and mismanagement on her way to the year-end WTA Finals.

Flight reversal leaves passengers frustrated

Pegula is set to compete at the WTA Finals, which begin on November 8 in Indian Wells, after a strong season. Her trip to California, however, ran into trouble involving United Airlines. On Monday, she posted her frustration on social media after the airline initially canceled the flight and told passengers to collect their baggage.

According to Pegula, the passengers then sat on the plane for more than two hours while heavy rain fell. The airline unexpectedly reversed the cancellation and took off with the bags still on board. "@united, explain to me how you cancelled our flight," she wrote. "You told us to go to baggage claim, and then you canceled the flight and took off with our bags." She added that baggage services had "0 clue what was happening" and kept saying they would retrieve the bags, while the flight departed. She called it "Craziest thing I've ever seen."

Stubbs responds

Stubbs reacted to the post with a brief message: "Ohhhhh my god! 😂 what????"

Pegula's recent tournament had ended earlier in the season at the Wuhan Open, where she lost to Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the second round.

Stubbs comments on Carlos Alcaraz's serve

Stubbs also discussed Carlos Alcaraz, who is recovering from an injury. Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, she suggested that changes Alcaraz made to his serving technique, after adapting Novak Djokovic's style, may have contributed to the wrist problems that affected him. "I think one of the reasons why he struggled so much with the wrist is because he changed his service motion and did the drop wrist like Novak Djokovic," she said. She added that she could not confirm this for certain, but believed "these little changes took their toll on his wrist."

Stubbs also said she had noted at the US Open, even when Alcaraz was working with Williams, that his serve did not have as much pop. She suggested he use the off-season to improve it, particularly on faster courts. "He does need to improve the serve," she said, adding that this would be important if he wants to push Jannik Sinner when he returns and starts winning Grand Slams again.

Alcaraz's injury kept him off the court for more than four months, forcing him to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon.