“It was really, honestly, the worst tennis I’ve played in the last, I don’t know, how many months,” Aryna Sabalenka made a harsh confession two weeks ago after losing the Roland Garros final to Coco Gauff. The latter stunned the World No.1 and three-time slam winner in a tense summit clash at Court Philippe-Chatrier. It was her second straight loss in a slam final after the Australian Open, back in January, against Madison Keys. However, the setback this time hurt even more as Sabalenka couldn’t put up a strong fight, while committing 70 unforced errors. As a result, she couldn’t handle the disappointment while making an explosive remark on the 21-year-old’s French Open glory. However, Sabalenka now appears to have reached a realization.

Following the summit clash, where Gauff bested Sabalenka with a score line of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, the Belarusian didn’t hold back emotions during the post-match press conference. While admitting her on-court shortcomings, she also cited how Gauff wasn’t really that strong. “I think she (Gauff) 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.” Later, when her statement garnered criticism, Sabalenka issued an apology through social media. This time, she praised Gauff while saying that she “handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win.”

Now two weeks after the controversy first erupted, Sabalenka has spoken on the entire incident. Not to mention she’s made a really deep introspection while looking back at her reaction. “That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me.” reported TNT Sports on June 17. Realizing her mistake, she added, “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.”

Concluding her response, she said, “I think we all have those days when we lose control. The difference with me is, the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people.”

Following her post-match outburst and throwing shade at Coco Gauff‘s victory, a few notable figures came forward. Of course, they didn’t like what Sabalenka said on the American’s performance. Take for example Andy Roddick. During an episode of his Served podcast, he slammed the World No.1 saying, “What is the point of saying it? I thought it was beneath the precedent that she has set for herself before and frankly it does not matter.”

However, one WTA pro from Australia sided with Sabalenka’s situation. Plus, she also gave a reason for why the Belarusian was not completely wrong in revealing unfiltered emotions.

Aussie WTA pro defends Aryna Sabalenka’s explosive comments

During an episode of the Tennis Podcast, last week, Australian WTA player Daria Saville expressed her sentiments on Aryna Sabalenka’s controversial comments. Per Saville, maybe it was the bad timing that led to all this mess. How?

Speaking for Sabalenka, she began, “I think she was really hurt.” According to her, the three-time slam champion didn’t get much “time to process.” Right after losing the final at Court Philippe-Chatrier, she had to go for the press conference. “I think she, I’ve done that before when I’m like still really mad and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m just going to do the press conference now.’ I’ve never had a press conference after losing a Grand Slam final.”

Saville continued, “She was emotional post-match, and she just spoke with how she was feeling. I didn’t think she looked through like someone else’s lens and she was just talking from her own perspective,”

While she may have lost in Paris, Sabalenka’s still got the chance to rise and shine. At the Wimbledon next month, she will need to deliver a strong performance. In the past, she’s been good on grass. Back in 2021 and 2023, she succeeded in reaching the semis at the All England Club. In 2025, she would like to make it one better and eventually win her maiden Wimbledon trophy (sometimes referred to as Rosewater Dish).

What are your thoughts on the Belarusian’s chances at the All England Club? Will she be able to leave behind the French Open setback? Let us know in the comments below.