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.
It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand.
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.
Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose.
After losing to her American opponent in the French Open final, Aryna Sabalenka claims to have written to Coco Gauff to apologize for her “unprofessional” remarks.
The top-seeded Sabalenka acknowledged on Tuesday that her comments following her Roland-Garros defeat to Gauff were incorrect.
The Belarusian had implied in her post-match press conference in Paris that the American’s victory was more the result of her own mistakes than Gauff’s play.
Sabalenka had been on the verge of winning after winning the first set in a tiebreak, but Gauff pulled off an incredible 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 comeback to win her second Grand Slam championship.
During the press conference, the 27-year-old, who made 70 unforced errors in the final, claimed that Gauff won “not because she played incredible, [but] because I made all of those mistakes.” She has since expressed regret for those remarks.
Sabalenka told Eurosport Germany, “It was just nothing but unprofessional of me.”.
“I didn’t control my emotions.”. I sincerely regret the things I said at the time. We all make mistakes, you know. I’m merely a human being who is constantly learning new things. Everybody, I believe, has days when they lose control. However, I also want to mention that I recently—not right away—wrote to Coco. “”.
She claimed that in the letter, she apologized to Gauff and informed him that she “deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.”.
“My intention was never to assault her,” Sabalenka continued. “At that press conference, I was very emotional and not very intelligent. I don’t necessarily feel thankful for what I did. It required some time for me to reflect on it, approach it with receptiveness, and comprehend. I came to several self-realizations. Why did I lose so many finals?
In the 2023 US Open final, Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, won the opening set but lost to Gauff.
Sabalenka went on, “I kept getting so emotional.”. I therefore gained a lot of knowledge. Above all, regardless of the outcome, I am the one who consistently shows my opponents a great deal of respect. I would not be where I am now if it weren’t for that respect. For me, it was a difficult but extremely worthwhile lesson. “”.
