what did sabalenka say about coco gauff

Aryna Sabalenka said her remarks after losing to Coco Gauff were “completely unprofessional” and that she “absolutely regret[ted]” them. She later said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and wanted to give her credit for winning the French Open final.

What she said first

After the Roland Garros final, Sabalenka said it was the “worst final” she had ever played and suggested her own errors were a bigger factor than Gauff’s performance. That is the part that drew backlash, because it sounded like she was minimizing Gauff’s win.

Her follow-up

A few days later, Sabalenka walked it back and said her emotions got the better of her. She said both things could be true: she did not play her best, and Gauff still stepped up and played with poise.

Why it mattered

The comments became a trending tennis story because they came right after a Grand Slam final, where emotions run high and every word gets amplified. Gauff later said she understood where Sabalenka was coming from and did not take it too personally.

TL;DR

Sabalenka initially said her own mistakes, not Gauff’s play, decided the match, then apologized and said she wanted to credit Gauff properly.