Sabalenka Apologizes to Gauff for Post-Match Comments After French Open 

Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
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Sabalenka Apologizes to Gauff for Post-Match Comments After French Open 

Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 
Second placed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts with the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Coco Gauff of the US at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP) 

Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the “unprofessional” comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of the French Open.

Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the top-ranked Sabalenka said her remarks after her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff's performance.

“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently.”

Sabalenka hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors, compared to Gauff’s 30.

She said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and “make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.”

“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalanka added. “I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I’m not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?”

Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, also lost to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, where she also won the first set.

“I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka added. “So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough, but very valuable lesson for me.”



Esports World Cup 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh

The seven-week global event transforms Riyadh into a dynamic hub of gaming and culture, drawing entertainment enthusiasts from around the world. SPA
The seven-week global event transforms Riyadh into a dynamic hub of gaming and culture, drawing entertainment enthusiasts from around the world. SPA
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Esports World Cup 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh

The seven-week global event transforms Riyadh into a dynamic hub of gaming and culture, drawing entertainment enthusiasts from around the world. SPA
The seven-week global event transforms Riyadh into a dynamic hub of gaming and culture, drawing entertainment enthusiasts from around the world. SPA

Esports World Cup 2025 has officially launched in Riyadh. The seven-week global event transforms the capital into a dynamic hub of gaming, culture, art, and community, drawing entertainment enthusiasts from around the world.

Held at Boulevard Riyadh City, the festival offers a variety of innovative experiences across multiple zones. Highlights include the Aramco SIM Arena, featuring advanced car racing simulations; the stc Arena and Amazon Arena, which host community competitions; a Content Creator Park for influencers; a main stage for family-friendly entertainment; and themed areas such as the Jameel Motorsport Park and the Japanese Garden.

The festival runs alongside Esports World Cup 2025 competitions, attracting global esports fans to Riyadh. Building on the success of the inaugural 2024 event, this year’s tournament features intense preparations and will showcase top-tier competitions in games such as VALORANT, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and Apex Legends. The event continues the Club Championship format, which awards clubs based on multi-title performance to crown the world’s top esports organization.

Esports World Cup 2025 brings together elite players and teams from across the globe to compete for a record-breaking prize pool exceeding $70 million, the largest in esports history.

Over 2,000 professional players representing 200 premier clubs from more than 100 countries will participate in 25 tournaments covering 24 esports titles, all broadcast under extensive global media coverage.