It wasn’t the end that Aryna Sabalenka was looking for. After putting on good performances right throughout the French Open, the Belarusian star failed at the final hurdle, losing against Coco Gauff in a spirited comeback game. While the French Open title still eludes Sabalenka, she raised eyebrows with her post-match comments about the American sensation. Although she apologized for her words later, Sabalenka continues to face the heat as Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, joined the masses in slamming Sabalenka.
After the brutal summit clash loss, Sabalenka blamed the conditions for her defeat instead of crediting Gauff for putting on a spirited fightback. Moreover, Sabalenka also revealed that Swiatek could’ve defeated Gauff in the final if she had qualified for it. These comments didn’t go down well with the tennis world, with Stubbs joining in to criticize Sabalenka.
During The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast episode released yesterday, Stubbs went on to say, “I talked to a couple of players about this and all of them said I gave her a pass for what she said on the court because we have all been there. It took her 24 hours after that to write an apology essentially on Instagram but I’m like, ‘Girlfriend, that was so bad.’ And there is no excuses for it; there is just none. And that’s coming from me. I have said some stuff in press, but you never take it away from your opponent.”
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus yells in frustration during the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the U.S. at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. Lindsey Wasson – AP
Meanwhile, a day after the controversy, Sabalenka took to her official Instagram handle to clear the air surrounding her comments. Sharing a message on her Instagram story, Sabalenka dismissed the motive behind her controversial take on Gauff’s win and credited the American sensation for putting on a gritty performance to win the trophy.
Nonetheless, Stubbs felt that Sabalenka was too late to apologize, and the damage was already done. Additionally, Gauff was also left surprised by the choice of Sabalenka’s words during the post-match interview.
What did Coco Gauff say about Aryna Sabalenka’s controversy?
After losing the first set in the tiebreaker, Gauff gave her all to make a comeback and emerge as the winner. Making a comeback after being a set down in a Grand Slam final is never easy, and the American sensation showed tremendous grit and determination to succeed. Thus, Gauff was dejected after Sabalenka didn’t credit her enough for her win.
In the post-match interview on Good Morning America, Gauff hit back at her rival and said, “I was a little bit surprised about the comments and everything but I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure it was an emotional day, emotional match. I know she was probably a bit emotional after that match and it was a tough loss.”
Eventually, Gauff was able to handle the conditions better and win her maiden French Open title. Even as the controversy refuses to die down, Gauff and Sabalenka will look to focus on the upcoming grass-court season, with the Wimbledon Championships not very far away.
The post “Girlfriend, That Was So Bad”—Despite Public Apology, Aryna Sabalenka Brutally Shunned by Former Grand Slam Champion Following French Open Drama appeared first on EssentiallySports.
