Aryna Sabalenka Steps Out of Coco Gauff’s Controversy as Bold Wimbledon Verdict Emerges

Despite winning the first set in a hard-fought battle, Aryna Sabalenka gifted her Roland Garros to America’s Coco Gauff by losing the next two. She committed 70 unforced errors in that match, and owing to this poor performance in such a crucial match, Sabalenka later admitted that it was the worst final that she had ever played. But having said that, she also made a couple of interesting comments. Sabalenka said, “I think she (Gauff) won the match not because she played incredible, but because I made all those mistakes.” Not only that, she also claimed she thinks if Iga Swiatek had defeated her in the SF, the Pole would have clinched a win in the final.

This controversial remark stirred a major controversy in the tennis world, with legends like Rennae Stubbs claiming that she couldn’t believe those words coming out of Sabalenka’s mouth. Andy Roddick also said, “I didn’t really like what she did in the post-match presser.” Following that, although she revealed that she wrote an apology to Gauff, this issue is still the talk of the town in the tennis world. Amid all these, Sabalenka is all set to start her campaign on grass courts. Can she do wonders on this surface?

Aryna Sabalenka is currently in Berlin to take part in the Grass Court Championships. In a recent interview with Eurosport Germany, she said that she wrote to Coco Gauff to apologize for her “completely unprofessional” comments after the French Open final. Sabalenka said that she absolutely regrets what she said to the American back then. But having said that, she also mentioned that she made sure that Gauff knew that she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that she also respects her.

However, that incident is a past thing now as both these tennis stars are all set to kick-start their campaign on the grass courts in Berlin. Coco Gauff will face Xinyu Wang in her first match, while Aryna Sabalenka will take on the Swiss, Rebeka Masarova. But before getting things started at the pre-Wimbledon tournament, American legend Tracy Austin shared her thoughts about Aryna Sabalenka’s chances of finding success on grass.

In a recent interview with Tennis Channel, Austin said, “I expect big things. She has been the most consistent player of winning three titles on the WTA, two or four other finals, but she has moved out on those tough three-set losses in both the AO and at Roland Garros. I think she’s going to be hungry.“

Aryna Sabalenka has a win-loss record of 40-7 this season, and she has won titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid this year. Can she spark her magic at Wimbledon? Sabalenka’s best record at Wimbledon has been reaching the SF in 2021 and 2023. Highlighting these two runs, Austin said, “She has been to the semis a couple of times at Wimbledon. I think she’s improving. I think she’s hopefully going to have learned a lot and be able to adjust more for the game on the fly, keep the emotions in check. That was tough, yeah.“

Heading into this grass-court tournament in Berlin, Sabalenka will be keen to clinch her first-ever grass-court title. She was forced to retire last year in the QF due to an injury. So, this year she has 108 ranking points to defend, and if we look at her path here, Aryna Sabalenka could well face Qinwen Zheng in the QF. Can she win this pre-Wimbledon tournament? Time will tell! But what are her chances of doing some wonders at Wimbledon this year?

2025 Wimbledon favorite: Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff 

Although Aryna Sabalenka has reached the SF twice at Wimbledon, Coco Gauff’s best record at this tournament has been reaching the third round. She has reached the third round thrice (2019,2021,2024) in her career so far. Talking about their chances at Wimbledon this year, former British pro, Laura Robson said, “I would probably say Sabalenka because she’s done well there in the past, but for Coco, it’s been a surface which hasn’t quite given her the results that the other Slams have.“

Similarly, Andy Roddick also claimed that he believes Aryna Sabalenka is a “clear-cut” favorite at Wimbledon. Having said that, he also stated, “Is there going to be a hangover from losing two Slam finals in a row? Does that affect the psyche? Absolutely. But there is not a person to be bet on more confidently than Sabalenka at Wimbledon.”

What does Aryna Sabalenka have to say about her making a bold statement at SW19? She has a win-loss rate of 64.15% on grass, i.e., 34-19, when it comes to her win-loss record. So that number says that she’s well capable of making long runs here. Talking about her chances on the grass court, she said, “We all have the same goal: to win the tournament. I’ve built a lot of self-confidence over the years, but at the same time, I’ve realized it has nothing to do with self-confidence. It’s about how willing you are to go out on the court and compete, even when things aren’t going so well. It’s about how willing you are to go out there and fight for what you want.“

According to Sabalenka, the Grass Court Championships in Berlin are a perfect platform to feel the grass ahead of Wimbledon. Do you think Aryna Sabalenka can win the title in Berlin?