Aryna Sabalenka Sparks Controversy With Coco Gauff Comments After French Open
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Tennis star Coco Gauff claimed her first French Open title after taking down the No. 1 player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka. The final was a competitive match with scores of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 coming in.
Gauff now leads the all-time series with Sabalenka 6-5, and she has won three of the last eight majors overall. Sabalenka looked sluggish and sloppy at times, allowing Gauff to push for the comeback win.
But after the fact, many fans were appalled by comments coming from Sabalenka. Sabalenka seemed to insinuate that the win from Gauff was more about her making mistakes than anything.
'I think she won the match not because she played incredible. Just because I made all of those mistakes'
I think it was more windy. Also I think I was over emotional. Today I didn't handle myself quite well mentally. Basically that's it. I was just making unforced errors. I don't know. I have to check the statistics. I think she won the match not because she played incredible. Just because I made all of those mistakes, if you look from the outside, from kind of easy balls."
Sabalenka on her loss to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, 'I think she won the match not because she played incredible. Just because I made all of those mistakes'
"What happened when you led 4-1? Do you think Coco got better or the conditions got tougher?"
Aryna: "I think it was... pic.twitter.com/ZqiVQ7YSWi — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 7, 2025
Many fans took to social media to express feelings on the situation.
I think that it's disrespectful towards Coco. You lost because she was stronger. Stay silent and work more. A tiger tattoo but very weak tbh — eaglelex (@eaglelex_eth) June 7, 2025
What a classless person. The appropriate response from an athlete with good sportsmanship would be " I was not in control of my emotions and made many mistakes and Coco was a better player than I today hence she won" 🤷🏾♀️ not bcz "I made mistakes hence she won" 😏 https://t.co/yZt2PR6stR — BusieM (@BusieM_M) June 7, 2025
Poor show. You missed because of the pressure of an opponent playing really well. Show grace. — DeathApeDisco (@DeathApeDisco) June 7, 2025
Her comments are so inappropriate https://t.co/pczlJrEfqC — Ameerah (@theameerah) June 7, 2025
Coco would never say this... — Joe〽️ess (@THEEJoeMess) June 7, 2025
Sabalenka has gained a lot of haters after this final. Her comments were so inappropriate. She should have congratulated Coco on her win and moved on. But she chose to speak out, and nothing good came of it. — TopSpin (@RallyScope) June 7, 2025
A big part of this sport is respect. Losing a slam final hurts, nevertheless being a champion means mastering emotions and respect. Imho she failed during the interview. — Slider (@CryptoSlider) June 8, 2025
Whatever makes you sleep better pic.twitter.com/LC7aXZiODF — Vusi (@Vusi) June 8, 2025
Sabalenka should've just congratulated Coco and kept it moving. Speaking out did her no favors. I'm sure she has learned a thing or two — Jenna (@jenna_lixoxo) June 7, 2025
Sabalenka had been on a nice run before the loss to Gauff. She had won three of the last eight majors and was the most successful women's singles player in 2025.
It seems that she let the emotion from the loss get to her, and it took over in how she discussed the match. But she made multiple mistakes down the stretch, and it allowed Gauff to rally for the win.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 07: Coco Gauff of United States holds the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy alongside runner-up Aryna Sabalenka after the Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 French Open at...
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 07: Coco Gauff of United States holds the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy alongside runner-up Aryna Sabalenka after the Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. ( More
Photo byIn contrast, Gauff congratulated her opponent after the big win.
"I want to congratulate Aryna, you deserve all the results that you have," Gauff said after kissing the trophy and pausing for the national anthem near center court. "I want to thank my team ... you remind me there's more to life than tennis, and I think that's what makes me play better on the court. Thanks to the crowd for cheering for me so hard. I don't know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd, but I appreciate you guys."
The two have been semi-rivals for some time now, and this match just enhanced everything. This win marked the second singles Grand Slam victory for Gauff, and her legacy continues to grow.
For more tennis news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
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