Aryna Sabalenka Sparks Controversy by Making Bizarre Admission on Iga Swiatek After Heartbreaking Roland Garros Final Loss

Following a tough loss, Aryna Sabalenka fought back tears during the Roland Garros runners-up speech.

Aryna Sabalenka Sparks Controversy by Making Bizarre Admission on Iga Swiatek After Heartbreaking Roland Garros Final Loss

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (Via Punto de Break)

Speaking to the media after a Grand Slam final loss is never easy, especially in a second language. Still, Aryna Sabalenka has never shied away from sharing her honest thoughts. Following her defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final, she once again offered candid reflections during her press conference.

Sabalenka described the match as her worst performance in months. She was critical of her execution and admitted her level wasn’t good enough for such an important stage. Despite moments of brilliance, she was clearly disappointed with how she played in the final. Sabalenka said in her Roland Garros post-tournament presser:

If Iga had beaten me the other day, I think she’d come out today and get the win. It just hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, to go out there and do what I did, it hurts.

Toward the end of the press conference, Sabalenka made a statement that drew mixed reactions. She said if Iga Swiatek had beaten her in the semifinals, Swiatek would likely have defeated Gauff in the final. The remark quickly spread online, with some fans calling it disrespectful to Gauff, while others praised her honesty.

Despite the loss, Sabalenka remains one of the top performers of the year with a 39-6 record and three titles. She plans to take a short break before shifting focus to the upcoming grass court season.

Aryna Sabalenka joins an unwanted record book

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open campaign ended in disappointment as she fell to Coco Gauff in a tightly contested final. The world No. 1 has now joined a rare group, becoming just the seventh woman in the Open Era to lose both the Australian Open and French Open finals in the same season. Despite a strong start to the year, Sabalenka has now suffered two consecutive defeats in Slam finals.

Aryna Sabalenka Roland Garros French Open 2025
Aryna Sabalenka (image via Instagram/WTA)

Earlier in the year, she lost the Australian Open final to Madison Keys in three sets. In Paris, she was edged out again, this time by Gauff in a three-set battle. Although she claimed the 2024 US Open, her 2025 Grand Slam season has started with back-to-back final losses. This mirrors the path of other greats who stumbled early in the season before rebounding.

Serena Williams last faced this situation in 2016, losing to Angelique Kerber in Melbourne and Garbine Muguruza in Paris. Dinara Safina did the same in 2009, falling short in both finals. Other players who experienced this rare streak include Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1995, Martina Navratilova twice (1975 and 1987), Renata Tomanova in 1976, and Evonne Goolagong in 1972.

These players all faced setbacks in early majors, but many eventually found redemption. Sabalenka will aim to turn things around in the upcoming Grand Slams, as others before her have done. Her consistency in reaching finals shows elite form, but she now faces the challenge of converting that into more major titles.

Coco Gauff makes American history at Roland Garros

Coco Gauff made history by winning the French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka. She became only the third American woman since 1990 to claim the Roland Garros singles title. Gauff battled back from a set down to win 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, securing her second Grand Slam trophy and her first outside of the US Open.

Coco Gauff (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Coco Gauff (via X/The Tennis Letter)

The match started with Sabalenka taking early control. She broke Gauff twice to lead 4-1 and had two set points at 5-4 on her own serve. Though she failed to convert them, she eventually edged the set in a tiebreak. Gauff responded with a dominant second set, breaking Sabalenka three times to level the match.

In the final set, Gauff went up an early break and nearly secured a double-break lead. Sabalenka fought back to tie the set at 3-3, but Gauff held her nerve. A clean cross-court backhand secured a break to love, and she closed out the match after a Sabalenka backhand error.

This was Gauff’s first win over a world No. 1 in a Slam final and her first comeback win from a set down in such a match. She now leads Sabalenka 5-4 in their head-to-head. The match was also the first French Open final between the top two women in the world since 2013, when Serena Williams faced Maria Sharapova.

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