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Aryna Sabalenka, who was the runner-up at the 2025 French Open, has issued an apology to champion Coco Gauff regarding her comments after the final match. Sabalenka faced backlash online after suggesting that Gauff’s victory might have come more from her mistakes than from Gauff’s skill.<\/p>\n
Feeling the weight of her emotions post-match, Sabalenka clarified her statements, emphasizing that she wasn\u2019t trying to diminish Gauff\u2019s accomplishment. She acknowledged her own mental exhaustion after the intense final and admitted she could have reacted better.<\/p>\n
“Yesterday was really tough,” Sabalenka shared on Instagram. “Coco handled the situation much better than I did, and she deserved to win. She was clearly the better player. I want to give her the credit she earned. I always strive to be honest and human in these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can’t pretend it was my best day. Both things can be true: I didn\u2019t play well, and Coco excelled. She earned that title, and I respect that. Now, it’s time for me to rest, learn from this, and come back stronger,” she continued.<\/p>\n
As the top seed at the French Open, Sabalenka faced criticism from fans following her emotional post-match comments. She lost to Gauff in a closely contested final on June 7, with scores of 7-6, 2-6, 4-6.<\/p>\n
After suffering her second consecutive Grand Slam final defeat this year, Sabalenka remarked that she felt her loss was more a result of her own errors than Gauff’s performance. \u201cI think it was windy, and I was a bit too emotional,” she said during the press conference. “I didn\u2019t manage to keep my cool, and that resulted in many unforced mistakes. It feels like she didn\u2019t win solely because she played amazingly; I made too many mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She even suggested that if Iga Swiatek, who lost to her in the semifinals, had made it to the final, she would have likely won against Gauff.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Iga had beaten me, she would have won today. It really stings. I was playing well, and it\u2019s tough to lose like that,\u201d she expressed.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka started strong, winning the first set after a competitive tiebreaker. However, Gauff bounced back in the next two sets, securing a comfortable victory to claim her first major title on clay. Many fans were disappointed by Sabalenka\u2019s remarks, feeling she didn\u2019t show enough respect for her opponent.<\/p>\n
In response to Sabalenka’s comments, Gauff stated she disagreed with her perspective. While acknowledging Swiatek’s skill, she expressed her belief that facing Sabalenka was a challenge in itself.<\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t agree with that,” Gauff said. “I\u2019m here as the champion. I played Aryna and won in straight sets. I believe she was the toughest competitor I could have faced in the final. She\u2019s the top player, and it would have been challenging regardless of who I played. I felt ready and believed I could win,” Gauff explained.<\/p>\n