Coco Gauff comes out in defense of Aryna Sabalenka amid criticism over French Open comments

Coco Gauff recently confirmed receiving a written apology from Aryna Sabalenka for her controversial comments following her French Open heartbreak. The Belarusian claimed that the American emerged victorious in their title clash, 'not because she (Gauff) played incredibly, but because I made all those easy ball errors,' referring to the 70 unforced errors she made during the match.

However, Sabalenka later clarified that she didn't want to take any credit away from Gauff, whom she admitted was the better player in their title match, but also highlighted she was disappointed with the quality of tennis she put on display. The World No. 1 got off to a perfect start, but the World No. 2 exhibited brilliant resiliency to turn things around and win (5)6-7, 6-2, 6-4 after two hours and 38 minutes.

Though Sabalenka received a lot of criticism over her comments, Gauff, who appeared on Good Morning America following her French Open triumph, broke her silence over the controversy and decided to give Aryna Sabalenka the benefit of the doubt as she understood the ordeal would've been emotional for her.

During a recent interview with DW, Coco Gauff also revealed that she received a written apology from Sabalenka and appreciated the Belarusian's gesture. The American also urged everyone to move on from the incident.

"She texted me two or maybe three days ago, she sent a text apologizing. I understand things can get emotional and things can be said. I definitely appreciate the fact that she reached out because I was a little bit surprised by the whole thing. It's dirt under a rug and we should all move on," Coco Gauff said.

Sabalenka also publicly admitted that what she said was wrong in a recent interview.

"I let my emotions get the better of me" - Aryna Sabalenka expresses 'regret' over comments after Coco Gauff loss

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff after the 2025 French Open - Source: Getty

During a recent interview with TNT, Aryna Sabalenka expressed regret over her comments after her defeat to Coco Gauff and admitted that it was 'completely unprofessional' on her part. She touched upon how every human makes such mistakes, but her being an athlete would mean having more eyes on her.

"That was just completely unprofessional of me. 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. The difference with me is, the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people," Sabalenka said.

Coco Gauff's friend and rival Madison Keys was also asked for her opinion on the controversy recently, to which she responded, 'I don't think Coco cares.'