Aryna Sabalenka admits her emotions got the better of her after losing in the final of the French Open and has since apologized to Coco Gauff for suggesting the American’s win was due to her mistakes.
The world No.1 missed out on her maiden Roland Garros trophy after losing 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, during what was a roller-coaster encounter. Sabalenka produced 70 unforced errors in the final which was the highest amount in any women’s match played in this year’s tournament. Afterwards she described the match as ‘the worst final’ she has ever played before saying she believes iga Swiatek would have won the match if she played Gauff instead.
“If Iga would won against me the other day, I think she would go out and she would get the win. Yeah, it just hurts,” she said in Paris. “Honestly hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did.”
Sabalenka clarified her remarks a day later in a post published on social media in which she says Gauff was the ‘better player’ and handled the windy conditions better than her.
Now in a new interview with Eurosport Germany, the three-time Grand Slam champion admits her previous remarks were unprofessional.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me,” she said.
“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 27-year-old says she contacted Gauff to make sure the world No.2 knew that she ‘absolutely deserved’ to win the tournament. Reflecting on how she handled the situation, the Belarussian describes it as a ‘instructive lesson.’
“I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference,” she 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.”
Sabalenka is hoping to bounce back at this week’s Berlin Open. So far this season, she has won two WTA 1000 titles and one WTA 500 event. She was also runner-up at four other events, including the Australian Open.
