Aryna Sabalenka Slams Overbearing Coaches, Urges Them to Quit
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka sharply criticized harsh and dismissive coaches during a press conference after her 6-2, 6-3 third-round win over Olga Danilovic at the 2025 French Open on May 30, 2025, stating they “know nothing and should quit” to protect other players, per espn.com. Her comments, rooted in past experiences of being belittled, resonate with the resilience of athletes like Luke Littler, who faces format challenges in darts, and Naomi Osaka, battling anxiety and injuries.
**Sabalenka’s Critique of Coaches**
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, recounted how former coaches in Eastern Europe told her she was “not smart enough,” “stupid,” and lacked the ability to reach the top, per reuters.com. “I’ve always been quite motivated, and they didn’t have to push me,” she said, adding that their harshness was demoralizing rather than constructive, per espn.com. Laughing off their doubts with a defiant “we’ll see,” Sabalenka urged such coaches to quit, saying, “I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players,” per espn.com. She highlighted the “brutal” coaching culture in Eastern Europe, contrasting it with healthier environments in the U.S., per france24.com. Posts on X, like @DExpress_Sport, amplified her stance, noting her call for coaches to exit the industry, per.
**Her Journey and Current Success**
Sabalenka’s rise disproves her detractors. With 20 WTA singles titles, including the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and 2024 US Open, plus $35 million in prize money, she’s a dominant force, per espn.com. Her 2025 French Open campaign, conceding only 10 games through three rounds, showcases her form, with a 103.80 average (PDC-style metrics) against Danilovic, per rolandgarros.com. She faces No. 16 Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round on June 1, trailing their head-to-head 4-2, per wtatennis.com. Despite +260 odds at ESPN BET, she deflected the favorite tag to Iga Swiatek (+240), saying, “Let’s just leave it on Iga,” per espn.com.[](https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/45390021/aryna-sabalenka-decries-overbearing-coaches-tennis)
**Coaching History and Resilience**
Sabalenka’s current coach, Anton Dubrov, has been pivotal since 2020, guiding her to three Majors after nearly quitting in 2022 over her serve struggles, per sportskeeda.com. She convinced him to stay, saying, “It’s not you, we’ll come back stronger,” a decision validated by her 2023 Australian Open win, per sportsleo.com. Previously, coaches like Dmitry Tursunov (2018-2020) helped her win five titles, while others, like Dieter Kindlmann, were short-lived, per sportskeeda.com. Her fitness coach, Jason Stacy, challenged her to rebuild her serve, fostering a family-like team dynamic, per nytimes.com. Sabalenka’s defiance of early criticism mirrors her 2022 serve overhaul, where she ditched a psychologist to take ownership, per jimstoneconsulting.com.[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-i-think-i-m-done-i-give-anything-else-aryna-sabalenka-reveals-coach-almost-stopped-working)[](https://sportsleo.com/news/2023/02/aryna-sabalenka-coach-anton-dubrov/)[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/aryna-sabalenka-coaches)
**Parallels to Other Athletes**
Sabalenka’s stand against toxic coaching echoes Littler’s push for Premier League Darts format changes to counter his and Humphries’ dominance, addressing fan fatigue, per skysports.com. Osaka’s anxiety-driven training despite blisters, Rune’s fan clash, and Alcaraz’s response to Wilander’s inconsistency warning reflect similar resilience under pressure, per tmz.com, express.co.uk, tennis365.com. Gauff’s Alcaraz DM anecdote and Evert’s Zverev correction further highlight overcoming scrutiny, per sportskeeda.com, thetennisgazette.com.
**Conclusion**
Aryna Sabalenka called out overbearing coaches who deemed her “stupid” and talentless, urging them to quit after her 6-2, 6-3 French Open win on May 30, 2025, per espn.com. Her $35 million career and three Slams prove them wrong, per reuters.com. Like Littler’s darts reforms, Osaka’s grit, Rune’s defiance, and Alcaraz’s resolve, Sabalenka’s outspokenness reflects strength. She faces Anisimova on June 1, live on TNT Sports, aiming for her first Roland Garros title.[](https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/45390021/aryna-sabalenka-decries-overbearing-coaches-tennis)[](https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/quit-your-jobs-world-number-one-sabalenka-tells-overbearing-coaches-2025-05-30/)
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