Sabalenka opens up and apologizes to Gauff: "I regret what I said, she deserved to win the title"

Carlos Navarro | 17 Jun 2025 | 13.35

Aryna Sabalenka. Source: Getty

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The 2025 Roland Garros final was a fierce battle on the court... that continued in the press room, right after its end. There, despite Coco Gauff lifting the title, the main focus was undoubtedly on Aryna Sabalenka: she pointed out that the American secured the title due to her significant number of unforced errors, and that Swiatek wouldn't have missed the chance to conquer the crown had she defeated her in the semifinals.

Gauff showed a lot of class by gracefully handling these statements, distancing herself from them; the tennis world didn't overlook it, with many fans left astonished by Aryna's clear and sincere words. A week later, the tigress from Minsk is back in the headlines in her grass court debut at WTA Berlin 2025; a perfect moment to clarify her comments in Paris. She did so in an interview with Eurosport Germany, where she apologized directly to Coco and made it clear that she regrets everything she said.

"What I said was unprofessional, totally agree. I let my emotions get the best of me. I completely regret what I said there. We all make mistakes; I'm just a human still learning from life. We all have those days where we lose control. The difference, in my case, is that the world sees it all. I received more hate for what I did than from other people, but I want to say that I reached out to Coco after all, recently," expressed the Belarusian, who detailed the content of her messages to her finalist rival in Paris.

"I wanted to apologize and make sure she knew she deserved to win the title and that I respect her a lot. It was never my intention to attack her. Those were very emotional moments, and I wasn't very smart in that press conference. I needed some time to reflect and think about what I did, face it with my eyes wide open and understand it. I realized many things about myself. Why have I lost so many finals? I keep getting caught in that emotional loop. I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I am someone who treats my opponents with total respect, win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn't be where I am today. It was a tough but also very valuable lesson."

SETTING SIGHTS ON A BIG GOAL: WIMBLEDON

Aryna has turned the page and is now focusing on a grass court tour that hasn't always been kind to her. Last year, the Belarusian got injured in the same tournament and ended up missing Wimbledon, which, however, hasn't diminished her love for grass: "I love the grass, especially after the clay court tour. There, you have to fight hard for every point, but on grass, everything moves a bit faster, and that's something I love. The calendar is very tight, hardly any time to recover from Roland Garros, and there aren't many opportunities to 'feel' the grass before Wimbledon."

Therefore, Aryna's first hours on this surface in the German capital have a big goal: gaining mileage on this turf and preventing potential injuries like the one she suffered last year. "It was crucial to arrive here and practice, to remember how to move on grass. It's challenging, it's tough; my glutes and thighs are already tired. I'm focusing on ensuring my body can handle lowering the center of gravity and staying low for many hours. Extra work for my legs. We learned from what happened last year; I feel physically fit, strong, and hope that something like that never happens again." The first test in Berlin, with Wimbledon on the horizon, where regardless of the outcome, she has a lot of ground to gain points and perpetuate her dominance at the top of the rankings.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka se abre y pide perdón a Gauff: "Me arrepiento de lo que dije, mereció ganar el título"