Aryna Sabalenka sparked controversy with her comments after the 2025 French Open final.
After three sets of thrilling action on Court Philippe Chatrier, Coco Gauff defeated Sabalenka to clinch her maiden Roland Garros title.
Disappointed with the result, Sabalenka made various comments after the match, which were widely criticised.
Sabalenka described the conditions as ‘horrible’, suggesting it was the ‘worst final she had ever played’ and claimed Iga Swiatek would have beaten Gauff had she won their semi-final match.
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After Sabalenka’s initial statement taking accountability for those comments was poorly received, she revealed that she had personally sent a letter to Gauff during the Berlin Open recently.
As the tennis world looks ahead to a potential clash between the pair at Wimbledon, one former WTA star has given her verdict on the world number one’s latest apology.
Marion Bartoli thinks Coco Gauff will have ‘appreciated’ Aryna Sabalenka’s apology
During the BBC’s Wimbledon preview, Marion Bartoli commented on the French Open controversy between Gauff and Sabalenka.
“It’s a tough one. I am not going to be the one going out and blaming her. We have all been in a situation where you lose the match, you just feel sad, and you just say something you regret,” she said.
“I think it’s good from her that she sent an apology. I think Coco [Gauff] will probably have read those apologies and will appreciate those apologies.”
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The 2013 Wimbledon champion shared her thoughts on Sabalenka as a person, having interviewed her multiple times.
“I have been interviewing Aryna [Sabalenka] for the past four or five years, and she always has that great personality,” said Bartoli.
“She is always smiling. She always has a great sense of humour. So I really, really like her.”
It’s impossible to know what Gauff or Sabalenka really think about the situation, but both players will likely want to put the controversy behind them and turn their attention to Wimbledon.
Having lost two Grand Slam finals in 2025, Sabalenka, in particular, will be determined to come away with the Venus Rosewater Dish next month.
Marion Bartoli says Aryna Sabalenka needs to make ‘small adjustments’ to compete on grass
Bartoli continued to reflect on the French Open final, which she admitted was played in changeable conditions.
“She [Sabalenka] is bringing so much to women’s tennis. Yes, she didn’t play her best tennis in the final [of Roland Garros],” she said.
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“It was very windy, the tournament decided to play with the roof open, but the roof was closed at the beginning of the match, and then it opened, and it changed the whole conditions of the match.”
The 40-year-old then assessed Sabalenka’s chances on the grass, highlighting what she needs to do to compete.
“That being said, I think for the grass, when I look at her performance in Berlin when she had to save four match points in the tie breaker against Elena Rybakina and then lost in the semi-final, I think still on grass she will have to do some small adjustments on her techniques especially on the forehand side when she has such a big backswing,” said Bartoli.
“When it starts to skip through on that forehand and go fast and deep on the grass, specifically, she is struggling a little bit.
“Let’s not forget one thing that is very important on the grass is how quickly you can move. You feel like you are moving on eggs, but you have to do that very, very fast.
“I always felt the ones who were able to win Wimbledon are one of the best movers.”
Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the Berlin Open in her one Wimbledon warm-up tournament, losing out to Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets.
- 2025 Berlin Open SF – Aryna Sabalenka lost to Marketa Vondrousova, 2-6, 4-6
- 2025 Berlin Open QF – Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6
- 2025 Berlin Open 2R – Aryna Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova, 6-2, 7-6
The Belarusian will hope those two wins can propel her to glory at the All England Club next month, the only Grand Slam tournament where she has not yet reached the final.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Grand Slam record
Only time will tell if Sabalenka can reach her first Wimbledon final in 2025, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for.
The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 30.