As the tennis world gears up for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old American phenom and newly crowned French Open champion, has opened up about the emotional aftermath of her thrilling victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the Roland Garros final on June 7, 2025. The match, a gripping 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 comeback for Gauff, marked her second Grand Slam title and her first at the French Open, making her the first American woman to claim the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen since Serena Williams in 2015. However, the post-match narrative was dominated by Sabalenka’s controversial comments, which sparked a media storm and left Gauff grappling with the urge to respond. Now, with Wimbledon’s grass courts beckoning, Gauff’s candid reflections and the duo’s heartwarming reconciliation offer a compelling subplot to the tournament.
The French Open final was a battle of resilience, played under challenging windy conditions at Roland Garros. Gauff, ranked world No. 2, overcame a first-set tiebreak loss to outmaneuver the top-ranked Sabalenka, capitalizing on the Belarusian’s 70 unforced errors—39 from her backhand—compared to Gauff’s balanced 30 winners and 30 errors. In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka, visibly emotional, downplayed Gauff’s performance, stating, “I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.” She even speculated that Iga Świątek, whom she defeated in the semifinals, would have beaten Gauff in the final, adding, “It just hurts. Honestly hurts.” These remarks, coupled with Sabalenka’s frustration on court—where she angrily tossed a ball toward a ball girl and spiked another into the clay—drew widespread criticism for lacking sportsmanship.
Gauff, speaking ahead of Wimbledon, admitted the comments stung. “It was very weird,” she said, reflecting on her initial reaction. “I’m transparent. At first it was a little tempting just because the apology did come a little bit later.” Appearing on *Good Morning America* on June 9, she expressed surprise but showed empathy, noting, “I know she was probably a bit emotional after that match, and it was a tough loss.” Gauff’s measured response highlighted her maturity, as she resisted fueling the controversy. “There’s obviously temptation. I wouldn’t be lying, but I don’t know, I just want us to be kumbaya, live happily, hakuna matata, and be happy here,” she said at Wimbledon’s opening press conference, emphasizing her philosophy of spreading love and light. “I didn’t want to fuel more hate. I’m not the person that will fuel hate in the world.”
Sabalenka, for her part, quickly sought to make amends. The day after the final, she took to Instagram Stories, writing, “Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win. She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned.” She later revealed to Eurosport Germany that she sent Gauff a private apology, admitting, “That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then.” Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, emphasized her respect for Gauff, stating, “I wrote to Coco afterward—not immediately, but recently—to make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament.”
The reconciliation reached a heartwarming peak on June 27, when Gauff and Sabalenka, practicing together at Wimbledon, filmed a playful TikTok dancing to Bob Sinclair’s “Rock This Party.” Sabalenka captioned it, “TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together,” while Gauff commented with crying emojis and later posted, “The olive branch was extended and accepted! We’re good so you guys should be too.” This lighthearted moment, coupled with Gauff’s defense of Sabalenka against online criticism—stating on *First Take* that “Aryna is not a racist” and urging fans to show grace—has put their French Open drama firmly in the past.
As Wimbledon begins, Gauff, who faces Petra Martić in the first round, is focused on her title chase, inspired by her 2023 US Open win over Sabalenka. “I knew it was going to be an ugly win,” she said of the French Open, crediting her Florida-honed ability to handle windy conditions. Sabalenka, set to play Rebeka Masarova, remains a formidable rival with a 5-6 head-to-head record against Gauff. Their renewed camaraderie, however, signals a mutual respect that elevates women’s tennis. With Novak Djokovic defending Sabalenka’s emotional outburst, noting, “We all in the end of the day are human beings that have difficult emotions,” the stage is set for both players to let their rackets do the talking at the All England Club.
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