Aryna Sabalenka said she apologized to Coco Gauff for making “unprofessional” comments following her loss in the French Open final at Roland Garros earlier this month. The world No. 1 suggested after the match that her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat was more about her own mistakes than Gauff’s play.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said at Eurosport Germany. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently.”
Sabalenka had won three of the last eight Grand Slams and had been the most successful singles player on the women’s circuit in 2025 prior to the loss to Gauff, who improved to 6-5 all-time against Sabalenka.
Sabalenka said she took time after the French Open final to reflect on how her post-match comments came across and eventually decided to reach out to Gauff to make things right. The Belarusian star explained that she wanted to be clear her remarks were not meant to diminish Gauff’s accomplishment or suggest she didn’t earn the title.
“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalenka said. “I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?”
Sabalenka admitted the moment got the better of her — both in terms of her performance on court and her composure afterward. She had 70 unforced errors compared to just 30 from Gauff.
“I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka said. “So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough but very valuable lesson for me.”
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