After her heartbreaking loss to world No. 2 Coco Gauff in the French Open final, Aryna Sabalenka made a surprising statement. The world No. 1 suggested that fifth-seed Iga Świątek would have won the Grand Slam had she beaten Sabalenka in their semifinal clash.
Sabalenka lost to Gauff after winning the first set in Saturday’s final at Roland Garros, with a final score of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. After years of struggle on clay courts, this was the Belarusian’s first French Open final, making the defeat even more painful.
In her post-match interview, Sabalenka made an honest admission and said, “I think if Iga would win [against] me [the] other day, I think she would go out today and she would get the win.”
Aryna Sabalenka’s Historic Win Over Iga Świątek at Roland Garros Semifinals
Sabalenka’s comment becomes more interesting after their semifinal clash. She beat Świątek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 to secure her spot in the finals, thus ending the 26-match winning streak of the Polish star at Roland Garros.
A blockbuster semi-final between the world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka and the 4-time champion Iga Swiatek!
We are sooooooo ready for this 🔥#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/uspjUS1S8u
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2025
Świątek has been ruling the clay courts for years, winning four French Open titles, including three straight wins from 2022 to 2024. She even had 8-5 head-to-head record against Sabalenka, with 6-1 on clay courts. Before their semifinal clash, Sabalenka made it very clear that she will fight her way through.
“I’m ready to go and I’m ready to fight and I’m ready to do everything that I have to do to get the win,” she said in an interview.
French Open Final Against Coco Gauff Left Aryna Sabalenka Questioning Everything
Sabalenka was unsettled throughout the final against Gauff as she struggled with consistency, making 70 unforced errors. This was far from the level she showed during her earlier rounds, making her a formidable force in the tournament.
Speaking about her performance post-match, Sabalenka expressed her disappointment.
“Yeah that hurts, especially when you’ve been playing really great tennis during the whole week,” Sabalenka said. “You’ve been playing against a lot of tough opponents, Olympic champions, Iga, and then you go out and you play really bad.”
She defeated the 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 7-6(3), 6-3 in the quarterfinal before going on to end Świątek’s streak in the semifinal of Roland Garros.
After beating such great stars, this loss was particularly tough for her as she added, “It just hurts honestly, it hurts. I’ve been playing really well and then in the last match, go out there and and perform like I did. That hurts.”
With her historic win, Gauff became the first American woman since Serena Williams to win the French Open. The 21-year old showed her prowess by overcoming the first set defeat to win her second Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka’s belief that Świątek’s clay court experience would have been enough to beat Gauff comes as a surprise, considering the Pole lost her last three matches against the American, including a 6-1, 6-1 defeat on clay in Madrid earlier this year. Like the French Open, Świątek was the defending champion at the WTA 1000 event, too.
Poor sportsmanship. Soar loser. Treat others the way you expect to be treated. Learn from your mistakes and compete again.
I agree sabalenka didn’t have good sportsmanship and didn’t give Coco her respect. Not a good look. She a great player but today the better player won! Give props!
I see no respect at all from Sabalenka. Frankly, she is a sore loser and is only gracious when she wins. Her trophy presentation speech was terrible. She claimed it was the worst final of her life, blamed the condition, and offered no respect to Gauff. And her press conference afterwards was even worse, even claiming Gauff was framing balls for winners. I like Aryna as a player and her off court persona. But on the court, she is a poor sport. Look across the new at the 21 year old Gauff. Composed, respectful, does everything right…a true role model for young girls. I’m hoping Aryna will reflect on her behavior today and realize her mistakes, and grow to be a more likable person on court.