Aryna Sabalenka revealed she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the “unprofessional” feedback she made after dropping to the American within the French Open last.
Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the world No. 1 admitted she was fallacious to downplay Gauff’s victory following her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat at Roland Garros, the place she had attributed the result extra to her personal errors than to Gauff’s efficiency.
“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka mentioned. “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.”
Sabalenka hit 37 winners however completed the ultimate with 70 unforced errors, in comparison with Gauff’s 30.
She mentioned she wrote to Gauff 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,” Sabalenka added. “I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?”
Sabalenka, a three-time main champion, additionally misplaced to Gauff within the 2023 U.S. Open last, the place she additionally gained the primary set.
“I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka added. “So I 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. So it was a tough but very valuable lesson for me.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com