Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologise for the “unprofessional” comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of the French Open.
The top-ranked Sabalenka said on Tuesday that her remarks after her loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros were a mistake.
In her post-match media address in Paris, the Belarusian had suggested that the American’s win was more due to her own errors than Gauff’s performance.
Sabalenka had been poised for victory after claiming the opening set in a tiebreak, only to watch Gauff orchestrate a stunning 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 comeback to claim her second Grand Slam title.
The 27-year-old made 70 unforced errors in the final and later said at the news conference that Gauff won “not because she played incredible, [but] because I made all of those mistakes” – comments she has since regretted making.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka told 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.”
She said she wrote to Gauff to apologise and “make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her”.
“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalenka added. “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 realised a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?”
Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, had lost to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, where she also won the first set.
“I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka added. “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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