Gauff Wins French Open, Sabalenka Reflects on Loss

Coco Gauff, the newly crowned champion of the French Open, expressed surprise regarding her own comments about the match, especially given her performance in the finals against Alina Sabalenka. Gauff noted that her victory felt unexpected, considering the pressure surrounding American players.

In the 2023 final, Sabalenka was visibly emotional following her defeat. She attributed her loss to issues in her own game rather than giving full credit to Gauff’s performance. “I think I was overeating,” Sabalenka mentioned post-match. “I didn’t mentally prepare myself well. My errors were unforced, and it wasn’t that she played incredibly, but I made too many mistakes.”

Diving deeper into the experience, Gauff reacted to Sabalenka’s comments during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” She admitted to being shocked by the criticism but understood that both athletes faced intense pressure during the finals. Gauff pointed out that the match was likely emotional for Sabalenka, stating, “She probably felt a bit overwhelmed after such a huge loss. But I was prepared for the conditions; we had practiced with the roof closed.”

After facing backlash for her earlier remarks, Sabalenka released a statement acknowledging Gauff’s skill. “It was difficult for me yesterday. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did, and she absolutely deserved the win,” she wrote on social media. “She was the better player.” This acknowledgment, in a way, indicated a desire to move past the emotional responses of the match.

Gauff emphasized that there were no hard feelings between them, referring to Sabalenka as a “fighter” and a “tough opponent.” Their rivalry now stands at 6-5 in favor of Gauff, and notably, two of those victories have come during Grand Slam finals.