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Aryna Sabalenka faced widespread backlash following her comments about Coco Gauff after losing to the American in the 2025 French Open final. However, just hours later, the Belarusian issued a strongly-worded statement to clarify her stance.
Sabalenka entered the final as the clear favorite, especially after her impressive win over three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. However, she struggled to find her rhythm against Gauff, committing a staggering 70 unforced errors and eventually bowing down with a 7-6(5), 2-6, 4-6 defeat.
Later, during her press conference, the World No. 1 said that if Swiatek had beaten her in the semifinals and made it to the final, Gauff wouldn’t have stood a chance. She added that it wasn’t the American's brilliance that decided the match, but rather her own “terrible” form.
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Aryna Sabalenka has now addressed the criticism she faced for not seeming gracious after her loss. In her Instagram Stories, she explained that she was heartbroken at the time and didn’t mean to undermine Coco Gauff.
“Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win. She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned,” Sabalenka wrote.
“You all know me... I'm always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can't pretend it was a great day for me,” she added.
The three-time Grand Slam champion continued:
“But both things can be true... I didn't play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose. She earned that title. Respect. Time to rest, learn, and come back stronger.”
Gauff also spoke up about the situation, sharing how she felt about what happened.
Coco Gauff responds to Aryna Sabalenka's bold claim about her French Open win
Coco Gauff attended a press conference after her amazing win at the 2025 French Open, becoming the youngest American to win the title since Serena Williams in 2002. When asked about Aryna Sabalenka’s comment that Iga Swiatek would have beaten her if she had reached the final, she replied:
“I don’t agree with that. I mean, I’m sitting here. No shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets. I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say. Anything can really happen.”
She added:
“Obviously, Iga being a champion here, it was gonna be a tough match either way. But yeah, regardless of who I played, I think I had a good shot to win, and I definitely had that belief.”
The American got honest and said she actually would have preferred facing Swiatek in the final rather than Sabalenka, because the Belarusian was playing at the top of her game.
“If you ask me honestly who I wanted to play, it was Iga. Just because I felt Aryna was playing so good,” Gauff said.
Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek will now move on from the French Open and turn their attention to the grasscourt season, with Wimbledon kicking off on June 30.
