Aryna Sabalenka used some strong words to describe how much she regrets the comments made about Coco Gauff, calling her act "unprofessional" and "not very smart."
After blowing a one-set lead in her first French Open final, the Belarusian pretty much only blamed her 70 unforced errors for the loss. Also, she stated that Gauff would have lost if Iga Swiatek was her final rival. Her remarks were met with harsh criticism – not only from tennis fans but also some of the game's legends.
Now – at the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin – where Sabalenka and Gauff are opening their grass season, the world No. 1 expressed her regret for what she said 10 days ago.
"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," the world No. 1 told TNT Sports.
Sabalenka: I was emotional and not very smart
Sabalenka has now lost two Grand Slam finals against Gauff. In the first one, she was also up by a set before the world No. 2 came back to win their 2023 US Open title match.
Also, it should be mentioned that the Belarusian now has two Major finals defeats in 2025 – she fell just short to Madison Keys in a thriller Australian Open final.
"I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference," Sabalenka added.
In Berlin, Sabalenka and Gauff are the two top-seeded players. They are projected to meet in the final – and if that happens – it will be their first grass battle.
