Aryna Sabalenka said she apologized to Cocogoff for making “non-professional” comments following her defeat in the French Open Finals at Roland Garros earlier this month. World No. 1 suggested that her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 loss after the match was a loss about her own mistakes than Gauff’s play.
“It wasn’t completely professional in my opinion,” Sabalenka told Eurosport in Germany. “I make my feelings better. I absolutely regret what I said back then. We all make mistakes. I’m still a person I’m learning in life. I think there are days when we all lose control.
Sabalenka won three of her last eight grand slams and was the most successful single player on the women’s circuit in 2025.
Sabalenka said she took the time to reflect on how post-match comments came across after the French Open Finals, and ultimately decided to reach out to Gouf to get things right. The Belarusian star explained that her remarks were not intended to reduce Gauff’s achievements or to suggest that she didn’t win the title.
“I wasn’t going to attack her,” Sabalenka said. “I was very emotional and wasn’t very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, open my eyes and approach it, and understand. I’ve made a lot of things about myself.
Sabalenka admitted that the moment made her better. She had 70 forced errors, compared to just 30 from Gauff.
“I kept getting very emotional,” Sabalenka said. “So I’ve learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m always someone who deals with the enemy, whether they always respect him or not.
