Aryna Sabalenka revealed in a recent interview that she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the comments she made after the French Open Final at Roland Garros. The 27-year-old, number one ranked player in the world, fell to the American sensation in a tense 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 earlier this month. After the game, she appeared to suggest that her defeat was down to her “terrible tennis” and unforced errors that she committed, rather than the American's brilliance on the day.

In a recent interview with Eurosport Germany, Sabalenka revealed that she has since written to Gauff to offer a heartfelt apology, claiming that her comments were not meant to diminish Gauff's achievement.

“I wanted to apologize and make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her,” Sabalenka said. “It was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me.”

Sabalenka, who lost the fourth Grand Slam final of her career, claimed that emotions got the better of her.

“I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I'm just a human being who's still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. The difference with me is: the world is watching. I got a lot more hate for what I did afterwards than most people. But what I also want to say is: I spoke to Coco afterward—not immediately, but recently.”

The Belarusian has now played against the American 11 times, winning six and losing five. Earlier, in her comments post the final, she had blamed the “windy conditions” and said that it was the “the worst final I ever played.” This was majorly down to her 70 unforced errors, compared to Coco Gauff's 30.

However, more than a week since, Sabalenka has had time to revisit what led to her burst.

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“I wanted to apologize and make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her. I never intended to attack her. I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I'm not necessarily proud for what I did. It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes and understand. I realized a lot about myself.”

Now 27, the world No. 1 is in the prime of her career. Aryna Sabalenka has reached an impressive 11 Grand Slam finals. However, she has only won four, something she also touched upon.

“Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional. I also learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I'm the one who always treats my opponents with great respect—whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn't be where I am today. It was a tough but very important lesson for me.”

And while her record against the American only slightly tilts against her, Sabalenka has now lost two consecutive Grand Slam finals to Coco Gauff, including the 2023 US Open. Gauff has previously claimed she did not agree with Sabalenka's comments, suggesting it was not a fair thing to say.

All eyes are now on Wimbledon, set to begin on June 30.