World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to leave the clay-court swing behind at the Berlin Open, in which she will play in preparation for Wimbledon at the end of the month. However, the Belarusian has addressed her loss to Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final, not only apologizing for her “unprofessional” comments after the match, but also revealing what she learned from the experience.
In an interview with Eurosport Germany, Sabalenka was asked about how she dealt with the criticism she received for blaming the conditions, as well as saying that Iga Swiatek, whom she beat in the semifinals, would have won the match against Gauff.
“I have to agree, 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,” she said, while revealing she wrote to the American star to apologize.
“I wanted to apologize and make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her. I never intended to attack her. I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference,” she added.
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka embrace after 2025 Roland Garros final ( Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Sabalenka explained that she had to see the experience with “open eyes” to learn what was holding her back. “I realized 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 valuable lesson for me,” she concluded.
see also
She was Canadian No. 1 player, retired at 22 due to online harassment and depression before coming back
Sabalenka is aiming to return to Wimbledon after missing it last year
After losing two finals in two majors this year, Sabalenka will aim to get to a third at Wimbledon. The World No. 1 will return to London after she missed the tournament last year due to injury, which she sustained while playing in Berlin. However, she is confident to bring her new perspective to the tournament.
“We all have the same goal: to win the tournament. I’ve built a lot of self-confidence over the years, but at the same time, I’ve realized: 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,” she said.
Despite the losses, Sabalenka has been one of the most dominant players of the year. She won Miami and Madrid, and reached the final at Indian Wells. Also, with over 3,000 points of advantage over Gauff, she is set to remain at the World No. 1.
