Can Aryna Sabalenka and ‘cool-headed’ be used in the same sentence? On paper, yes. But the real question is: Will it really fit? Often described as a “sore loser”, we all saw the Belarusian’s racket-smashing antiques first-hand in March last year after losing her second Miami Open match to Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina. While a benefit of the doubt was much-deserved back then given the emotional turmoil in her personal life—Sabalenka’s ex-boyfriend had tragically passed away a week prior—the outbursts are not new.

Fast-forward to January this year, and a similar post-match reaction surfaced again, after a frustrating Australian Open final loss (6-3 2-6 7-5) to Madison Keys. Back then, the 27-year-old had reasoned, “There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy. I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech…I was just trying to let it go and be a good person, be respectful.” But, old habits die hard. While Sabalenka’s post-match reaction this time wasn’t the same, Serena Williams’ former coach Rannae Stubbs still wasn’t a fan.

The latest edition of the controversy surfaced after the American ace, Coco Gauff went from a set down to snatching her second GS singles title against Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, in the ‘City of Love’. Notably, 70 unforced errors plagued Sabalenka’s game, significantly outweighing her 37 winners, highlighting her struggle with external factors: Specifically, the wind, Gauff’s inspired play, and the high stakes.

Sabalenka didn’t hold back post-match, her frustration boiling over, after she was seen in tears while accepting her second-place trophy. “She was hitting the ball from the frame. Somehow, magically, the ball lands in the court. It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, saying, ‘Let’s see if you can handle this’,” Aryna bemoaned. “She won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes from, if you look from the outside, easy balls…It was honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in I don’t know how many months.“ Those words didn’t go unnoticed by Stubbs, who’s always been a sharp-shooter when it comes to tennis and truth.

As the dust settled on ‘Court Philippe-Chatrier’ the 54-year-old Aussie wrote on X, “ugh….the tennis was not that bad. You made a bazillion unforced errors because you’re playing against the fastest players in the world who is as gutsy as hell and had better composure then you!! but to say it was horrible…..ugh!!!! Damn that was rude. I said what I said,” Stubbs wrote, throwing shade without blinking.

She doubled down on her defense of Gauff in another tweet, refusing to let Aryna’s excuses cloud the reality of the match. “For the people out there saying well it’s cause Sabalenka made 70 UF errors. The reason she made so many, is because she’s is playing the best defender & athlete in the game. On top of Cocos spins on her forehand & her power on her BH & ability to make ONE MORE BALL !” she added.

Stubbs also highlighted what mattered most on clay: resilience and control. “It was windy and difficulty conditions and Coco handled it better cause she made more balls! Again, that’s clay and tennis. The semis indoors helped Sabalenka hit her strokes and serve with no wind. Today, the better competitor won.”

The Aussie veteran also didn’t miss Sabalenka’s unraveling on court either. “It’s clay and clay is about controlled aggression. And Coco used that to her advantage and didn’t panic and her composure won her that match. She served well under pressure and Sabalenka pressed WAY too much, because she knew it would come back and it got to her and she panicked.”

And Coco? After heartbreaks in Madrid and Rome, the French Open trophy tasted like redemption. The clay didn’t just test her game: it crowned her grit.

Coco Gauff reflects on fulfilling her Paris clay dream

Coco Gauff, the fearless 21-year-old from America, forged in Florida’s heat, rose from a set down to etch her name into tennis history on Saturday. With ice in her veins and fire in her heart, she stormed past Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, to seize her maiden Roland Garros crown. 

In doing so, she became the 1st American, man or woman, since Serena Williams in 2015 to lift the Roland Garros trophy. But it wasn’t easy. “It was tough,” she admitted later. “I don’t think either of us were playing great, but I knew as soon as I stepped on the court and I felt that it was windy that it was going to be one of those matches.” But grit does what talent can’t when the storm rolls in, and Gauff braved it with poise!

“I think this [Grand Slam] win was harder than the first because you don’t want to get satisfied with just that one. Three finals… I guess I got the most important win – that’s all that matters,” she echoed.

This wasn’t just a win, though. It was a message. Coco didn’t wait for destiny, she built it. She dreamed of clay, and now she rules it. The legacy begins here. Not in Madrid, not in Rome, In Paris!