Coco Gauff speaks out after opponent’s criticism following French Open win
French Open champion Coco Gauff is responding to her opponent Aryna Sabalenka's comments after the women's final on Saturday.
After the game, Sabalenka told the press in part, "I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes ... kind of like from easy balls."
Some criticized Sabalenka for not praising Gauff's play. Later, in an Instagram story post, Sabalenka walked back some of her initial comments, writing that Gauff "handled the conditions much better" and "played with poise and purpose."
"I know she was probably a bit emotional after that match and it was a tough loss," Gauff told "Good Morning America" on Monday after her win at Roland-Garros Stadium in Paris.
"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," Gauff added.
Gauff's victory didn't come easy, as she fell to Sabalenka in a first set tiebreak, 6-7 (5).
The two women had to battle windy conditions as they played with the stadium roof open instead of closed.
"When I stepped on the court, I was aware of the wind," said Gauff. "We both practiced with the roof closed so I honestly wanted the roof to be closed before the match because my quarterfinal and semi -- it was closed and I thought I was playing good tennis."
"But when I found out it was open, I saw how windy it was on the court, I knew it was gonna be an ugly win," continued Gauff.
Gauff called Sabalenka a "fighter" and "a tough opponent" while standing by her own performance.
"I had to force her to play that way and make a lot of balls and put those balls in the court," Gauff said.
The 21-year-old secured her second Grand Slam win and her first on a clay court after her 2023 win at the U.S. Open. She rallied after the first set to win, 6-7 (5), 6-2 and 6-4.
Gauff is the first American woman to win the French Open since 2015, when Serena Williams took home the title.
It's a moment she said on Instagram that she dreamed about and manifested into reality.
"I never dreamt about winning a tournament before in my life and I still haven't, and that was the only time I had a dream about winning one," Gauff told "GMA." "I just always thought that this tournament, like, just had to happen. ... So I wrote it down and instilled in my head. It was one of the last things I said to myself before I went on the court."
Following the championship, Gauff said she's trying to take in her major win but is also excited to look ahead at Wimbledon, which will start on June 30 and run until July 13.
"I think the main piece of advice everyone's told me is to take it in and soak it in, and then when it's time to get back to work, get back to work," said Gauff. "But I'm always looking ahead, so I am ready to get back and start training for Wimbledon and try to pull that off. But yeah, for now, I'm definitely trying to soak it in."
