Aryna Sabalenka regrets 'completely unprofessional' comments after French Open loss to Coco Gauff, as she looks ahead to Wimbledon 2025
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Updated 17/06/2025 at 08:11 GMT+1
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka says she "absolutely regrets" the comments she made after losing to Coco Gauff in the final of the French Open at Roland-Garros. "That was just completely unprofessional of me," she admitted, revealing she later wrote to Gauff to apologise. Sabalenka now starts her grass-court preparations for Wimbledon - a tournament she has never won.
‘Worst final I’ve ever played’ – Sabalenka’s brutal assessment of French Open defeat
Video credit: TNT Sports
Aryna Sabalenka has admitted she regretted the comments she made following her French Open final defeat, describing them as "completely unprofessional."
The world No. 1 faced criticism after downplaying Coco Gauff’s victory at Roland-Garros, suggesting the result was more due to her own errors than the American’s performance.
"I think she won the match not because she played incredible, but because I made all those mistakes," Sabalenka said, calling it the worst final she had played.
But now, more than a week since that performance on Court Philippe-Chartrier, Sabalenka expressed remorse over her reaction to the loss.
In an exclusive interview with Eurosport Germany, she said: "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."
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'I'm sorry for this terrible final' - Sabalenka's sad speech after losing to Gauff
Video credit: TNT Sports
The three-time Grand Slam singles champion also revealed she wrote to Gauff to apologise for her comments.
Sabalenka said she wanted to make sure Gauff knew that she "absolutely deserved" to win the tournament and that she respected her.
"I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference," Sabalenka added.
"It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realised a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? 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 instructive lesson for me."
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Highlights: Gauff wins first French Open title in classic final against Sabalenka
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sabalenka’s attention now turns to the third Grand Slam tournament of the year, Wimbledon.
She has never won the prestigious All England Club championship, with her best performances being semi-final appearances in 2021 and 2023.
Having already lost two Grand Slam finals in 2025, the 27 year-old will be keen to make a statement in SW19.
"We all have the same goal: to win the tournament," she said.
"I’ve built a lot of self-confidence over the years, but at the same time, I’ve realised it has nothing to do with self-confidence.
"It’s about how willing you are to go out on the court and compete, even when things aren’t going so well. It’s about how willing you are to go out there and fight for what you want."
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As part of limited preparations, Sabalenka is squeezing in some grass-court play in Germany at the Berlin Open.
Sabalenka says there are not many opportunities to "feel the grass" before Wimbledon, which gets underway at the end of June.
Her campaign in the German capital begins on Wednesday against Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.
Watch and stream the 2025 tennis season, including the Wimbledon finals on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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