Aryna Sabalenka said she apologized to Coco Gauff for making “unprofessional” comments following her loss in the French Open final at Roland Garros earlier this month. The world No. 1 suggested after the match that her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat was more about her own mistakes than Gauff’s play.

“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said at Eurosport Germany. “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.”

“I never intended to attack her,” Sabalenka said. “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 admitted the moment got the better of her – both in terms of her performance on court and her composure afterward. She had 70 unforced errors compared to just 30 from Gauff.