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Aryna Sabalenka has written to Coco Gauff to apologise for “unprofessional” remarks she made following her loss to her American opponent in the French Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open final against Coco Gauff (AP)
World number one Aryna Sabalenka apologised on Tuesday for the comments she made after losing the French Open final to Coco Gauff earlier in June.
Sabalenka was defeated by Gauff in three sets at Roland-Garros, with the American coming back from a set down to win her first French Open title.
Speaking to Eurosport Germany, Sabalenka acknowledged that her comments after her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Gauff at Roland-Garros were a mistake. During her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka suggested the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff’s performance.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “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 hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors, compared to Gauff’s 30.
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, also lost to Gauff in the 2023 U.S. 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.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov… Read More
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Berlin, Germany
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