‘Not because Coco Gauff played incredible’ – Aryna Sabalenka gives surprise reason for French Open final loss
Aryna Sabalenka’s Controversial Claim After French Open 2025 Final Loss to Coco Gauff
After her 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open 2025 women’s final on June 7, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka sparked controversy by attributing her loss to her own 70 unforced errors rather than Gauff’s exceptional play. In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka stated, “I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes from, if you look from the outside, easy balls,” per Sportskeeda.com. She also suggested that Iga Swiatek, whom she defeated in the semi-finals (7-6, 4-6, 6-0), would have beaten Gauff, saying, “I think that if Iga had won against me, she would have won this final today,” per Yahoo Sports.
Sabalenka’s remarks, which also described Gauff’s shots as “magically” landing in despite being mishit, were labeled “classless” by former doubles No. 1 Rennae Stubbs, who tweeted, “Ugh… that was rude,” per Express.co.uk. Fans on X, like @Verysimpleidea, called her comments “disrespectful,” while @Coded336 falsely alleged racial bias, claiming Sabalenka’s frustration stemmed from losing to a Black woman, a claim unsupported by evidence. Sabalenka’s emotional state was evident, as she admitted to being “overemotional” and struggling with windy conditions, per The Athletic.
Gauff responded with poise, saying, “I don’t agree with that. I’m here sitting here,” and referenced her 6-1, 6-1 win over Swiatek in Madrid 2025, adding, “I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say, because anything can happen,” per The Independent. Gauff’s 30 unforced errors and 9/21 break point conversions outshone Sabalenka’s 70 errors and 6/13, per Sports Illustrated. On June 8, Sabalenka clarified on Instagram, stating, “Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win,” per The Athletic, attempting to give Gauff credit while reiterating her own poor performance.
