Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one tennis player, is determined to learn from her emotional "outburst" following her defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final earlier this month. The three-time Grand Slam champion surrendered a one-set lead to the American in Paris. Sabalenka described her performance as "the worst final I've ever played".
Sabalenka's comments after the match drew criticism in the United States, as some felt they detracted from Gauff's second Grand Slam title. Sabalenka has since apologized to Gauff for her remarks, calling them "unprofessional". The two players have seemingly moved past the incident, even participating in a lighthearted dance video together on the Wimbledon lawns.
During a pre-Wimbledon press conference, Sabalenka reflected on the French Open final, admitting, "I was just completely, like, upset with myself, and emotions got over me. I just completely lost it". She believes that her strong desire to win can lead to her becoming "overemotional" during the final stages of tournaments, causing her to "lose control".
Despite the painful experience in Paris, Sabalenka is optimistic that it can serve as a valuable lesson. "Honestly I'm kind of glad what happened to me at Paris because I was able to learn a lot," she stated. "I was able to sit back and being open to myself, not just to ignore some things. I think I realized a lot of things about myself in those last stages of the tournaments".
Sabalenka emphasized that she respects Gauff and that their friendship remains intact. "Of course, she got my respect. She knows it," Sabalenka affirmed. "I'm happy that she was, like, 'yeah, it's all good, don't worry'. As you saw the (dancing) video, I was talking, we are good, we are friends. I hope the US media can be easy on me right now".
This isn't the first time Sabalenka's on-court behavior has come under scrutiny. At the Italian Open in May 2025, she responded to a heckler by telling them to "shut the f*** up". She later admitted that she was "overreacting" and "not proud" of her response. She has always been fiery on the court. After defeating Emma Navarro at the US Open 2024, she offered "Drinks on me tonight?" and "Please give me some support in the next match".
Sabalenka's career has been marked by both success and personal challenges. In 2019, she dealt with the death of her father at age 43. More recently, in March 2024, her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, tragically passed away. Sabalenka later expressed that she wished she had taken a break from tennis following Koltsov's death.
Despite these hardships, Sabalenka has found happiness in her relationship with Georgios Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur. She has shared photos of them together on social media, expressing her gratitude for his support.
As Sabalenka looks ahead to Wimbledon, she is focusing on maintaining her emotional control and continuing her quest for Grand Slam glory. She begins her Wimbledon campaign against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine, a player she admits to knowing little about. Sabalenka jokingly said, "The other day I opened social media, and she was giving interview. I think she just qualified. I was like, 'Oh my God, this girl is so beautiful!'". "Then I opened the draw, and I see I'm playing the Canadian girl. I open her profile, and I'm like, 'Oh, this is the beautiful girl'. That's all I know so far". Sabalenka has never progressed beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
