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With Wimbledon 2025 just around the corner, Coco Gauff has finally opened up about the comments made by Aryna Sabalenka following their intense showdown in the Roland Garros final. The American tennis star, who clinched her second Grand Slam title after a hard-fought 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sabalenka, offered a calm and mature perspective on what many considered demeaning remarks from her rival.
Sabalenka had stirred headlines post-match by saying she was “too emotional” during the final and even claimed that Iga Swiatek would have beaten Gauff had the final featured those two instead. While many perceived the comments as dismissive of Gauff’s achievement, the 20-year-old champion chose to rise above the controversy.
“It was a terrible condition day” – Coco Gauff shows maturity
During her pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon, Gauff broke her silence, revealing what she communicated to her team in the aftermath of Aryna Sabalenka’s remarks.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, some people are critiquing what she said in the speech. I didn’t really care about any of that because I know how it feels, and I understood what she was trying to say,” Coco Gauff explained.
“It was a terrible condition day. I don’t think I was playing well either, so I understood where she was coming from with that.”
The 2023 US Open champion acknowledged that some of the things said during Sabalenka’s post-match press conference caught her off guard, but she didn’t dwell on it.
Forgiveness and closure'
Rather than holding a grudge, Coco Gauff took the high road, emphasizing that private acknowledgment was all she needed to move on.
“Obviously some of the stuff that was said in the presser, I think I was a bit more surprised about, but yeah, I’m not someone to hold a grudge.
“When people I was talking to in my circle about it, I was like, if she apologises, not even publicly, it was just more so privately, I will be fine and we’ll move on.
“And she did, and she did again when I saw her before her practice and, yeah, it’s just water under a bridge.”
Gauff also clarified that their relationship had always been cordial before the incident and that she believed Aryna Sabalenka’s comments were misunderstood.
“I felt like before that we got along pretty well anyways before all that happened, so it wasn’t very hard to accept that apology.
“And, yeah, I understand things weren’t, I guess, translated as how she meant it to be, and she understood that, and I understood that’s not what she meant.”
Looking ahead to Wimbledon
The practice session between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka on Centre Court has turned heads ahead of the tournament, signaling that whatever tension existed between them may now be firmly in the past. Gauff’s poised and graceful response, coupled with her determination to focus on the game, speaks volumes about her growth both on and off the court.
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