Aryna Sabalenka Apologizes to Coco Gauff for ‘Unprofessional’ French Open Comments

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff pose with their trophies after the French Open final. Photograph: Jean Catuffe/DPPI/Shutterstock

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has issued a formal apology to Coco Gauff following remarks she made after losing to the American in the French Open final earlier this month. Sabalenka admitted that her post-match comments were unprofessional and driven by emotion, and revealed she had written to Gauff to personally apologize and acknowledge her well-deserved victory.

Following her defeat at Roland Garros, Sabalenka had suggested during a press conference that the match was lost more because of her own mistakes than due to Gauff’s performance. “I think she won the match not because she played incredible,” she said at the time. “Just because I made all of those mistakes, if you look from the outside, from kind of easy balls.”

Now, Sabalenka has expressed regret over her words, describing the remarks as inappropriate and lacking in sportsmanship. “That was just completely unprofessional of me,” she 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.”

Sabalenka confirmed that she recently reached out to Gauff in a personal message to apologize and to affirm her respect for the 20-year-old champion. “I wrote to Coco afterward – not immediately, but recently,” she explained. “I wanted to make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.”

Statistically, Sabalenka had a mixed performance in the final, producing 37 winners but also committing 70 unforced errors. Gauff, in contrast, played a more balanced match with 30 winners and 30 unforced errors. Despite the numbers, Sabalenka acknowledged that the result was ultimately fair and that Gauff earned the title through resilience and consistency.

“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalenka added. “I was super-emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily proud of 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 Grand Slam champion, also lost to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final after winning the first set. Reflecting on her pattern of emotional setbacks in major finals, she said, “I kept getting so emotional. 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.”