World No 1 downplayed American’s victory
Sabalenka says she did not intend to attack opponent
Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologise for the “unprofessional” comments she made after her loss to the American in the final of the French Open.
Speaking to Eurosport Germany, Sabalenka said her remarks after her defeat by Gauff at Roland Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff’s performance.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. 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. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward – not immediately, but recently.”
