Aryna Sabalenka Breaks Silence On Eyebrow-Raising Coco Gauff Remarks — And People Have Thoughts

Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has responded to the widespread criticism she’s received for remarks she made after she lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open women’s final in Paris on Saturday.

While reflecting on her game during a post-match press conference, Sabalenka said that the French Open final was the “worst tennis” that she’s played in months, and that the windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier where they played were “terrible” — and that Gauff was “simply better” in those conditions. (The retractable roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier remained open during the final.)

Sabalenka also told reporters she was “overemotional” during the match, before she pointed to the unforced errors she made as an explanation for Gauff’s win. “She won the match, not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes from — like, if you look from the outside, kind of like from easy balls,” she said.

The Belarusian tennis player went on to say that she believes if Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek had defeated her in the semifinals, and if Swiatek had advanced to the finals instead, then Swiatek would’ve won the final — meaning Swiatek would have defeated Gauff.

On Sunday, Sabalenka shared a statement in response to the backlash she received for her comments, writing in a since-expired post on Instagram Stories that she wanted to give Gauff “the credit she earned.”

“You all know me... I’m always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments,” she wrote. “I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can’t pretend it was a great day for me.”

“But both things can be true… I didn’t play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose,” she continued. “She earned that title. Respect. Time to rest, learn, and come back stronger.”

Racine R. Henry, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified clinical trauma professional, told HuffPost that she thinks Sabalenka’s comments during the post-match press conference appeared “self-centered” and “disrespectful of [Gauff’s] achievements.”

“Being that this was a tournament style competition, they each earned the right to be in the final match,” Henry said. “To imply anything less is bad sportsmanship and reflective of Aryna’s shame and embarrassment about losing.”

And Henry doesn’t think Sabalenka took accountability for her remarks in her follow-up statement: “She enforces her many efforts but only describes Coco as having poise and purpose. She neglects to credit Coco as the phenomenal athlete that she is and instead focuses on how well Coco handled the ‘conditions.’”

“I think her apology was a response to the backlash and not reflective of true remorse or a genuine belief that Coco is demonstratively a better tennis player than she is,” she said.

Associated Press

Coco Gauff photographed after winning the final match of the French Open in Paris on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

It’s important for everyone to remember that you can’t take back the impact of your words.

Henry emphasized how crucial it is to be mindful of your words: “You can’t undo the initial impact of a statement,” she said.

She said that she believes the practice of putting professional athletes in front of a mic for interviews at the height of their emotions is unfair, and that it can elicit “knee-jerk reactions.” But she said, nonetheless, it “comes with the territory of playing at the professional level.”

“This can be a great learning lesson for Aryna if she is open to the self-reflection and vulnerability needed to embrace her wrongdoings,” she said.

Courtney Council, a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks who specializes in relationships, coping skills and self-esteem, stressed that “athletes and anyone with a similar platform should be mindful of how they speak about themselves and their opponents.”

“Our words have an impact on others, and acknowledging the power of words, especially in a public setting, shows that we care about how our words affect those around us,” she said. “This mindfulness is important not only for personal integrity but also for promoting sport and attracting more supporters.”

Council doesn’t think Sabalenka’s comments during her post-match press conference showed a lack of humility. Instead, she believes the tennis star was “trying to engage in coping skills to manage her big emotions.”

“I want to acknowledge the challenges athletes face when they lose a game and then have to participate in a press conference about that loss. Speaking about their experiences and emotions related to a defeat can be very difficult,” Council said, before adding that she believes questions posed to athletes in those situations are often not “open-ended” and tend to seek “particular answers.”

“This can put athletes in uncomfortable positions as they try to articulate their feelings about the loss,” she continued. Council also thought Sabalenka showed accountability in her follow-up statement on Instagram, and that the public should show more “grace and compassion.”

Gauff, for her part, is seemingly taking the controversy surrounding her opponent’s post-match press conference in stride. When asked about the situation during an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Monday, the two-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she was “a little bit surprised” by Sabalenka’s comments.

“But I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt,” Gauff said. “I’m sure it’s just an emotional day, an emotional match.”

Gauff, who earned her first Grand Slam title when she defeated Sabalenka at the 2023 U.S. Open, was widely praised on X for being “gracious” to Sabalenka during her “GMA” appearance.

Henry said Gauff’s statements on “GMA” reflect her “confidence and security in her skill, talent and victory.”

Henry thinks people are frustrated about Sabalenka’s comments because “fans across every sport are becoming intolerant of things that detract from the games we love.”

“To be the best means you show up, you outperform your opponent, and you prove that you are the undisputed winner,” she said.