ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/A. Sabalenka

6-7, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, of course not the result anybody would want today, but just looking back at the two weeks, how proud are you of yourself in reaching the final here?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I have to say in the past two weeks I played really tough matches, really incredible players. Yeah, I played definitely better level than in the final. It was really honestly the worst tennis I've played in the last, I don't know, in the last I don't know how many month.

Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I just wondered why you think you weren't able to manage the conditions and she was able to do that a bit better?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Sometimes that happens, you know? You just wake up, and you don't feel your best and another player go for whatever and it works, and for you nothing is working.

Yeah, I was struggling a lot, and I was trying my best to figure the way how to play in these conditions, but I guess today wasn't the day.

Q. How much do you think this was just completely about you and how you were playing? Or was she making you do things that made you play worse than you would have wanted to play? How does she do that and make things difficult for you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: By running and playing those high balls from the frame. She was moving really well. In these tough conditions, I couldn't really mix it up.

It was tricky. It was tricky in these conditions to do stuff that I was doing, for example, in Madrid that I know I have to do against her to get the win.

Today was just, yeah, I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame. Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you kind of, like, on the back foot. Yeah, it's just, you know, like -- it felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this.

And I couldn't today. I really hope the next time we play, if it's going to be the same conditions, I'm going to play probably a little bit smarter, not overrush things, and yeah, try to stay there and try to fight.

Q. You are very hard on yourself, but do you think there was a momentum shift in the first set? Because you started the match really well. You led 4-1. What happened at 4-1? Do you think that Coco got better or the conditions got tougher?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I think it was more windy, got more windy. Also, I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn't really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say. So basically that's it.

I was just making unforced errors. Like, I don't know, I have to check the statistics. I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes from -- like, if you look from the outside, kind of like from easy balls.

Q. Obviously in your career you've had to go through a lot of tough moments and tough losses that have allowed you to be successful. So what will you take from this loss to make you better?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I mean, I think it's another tough final in the Grand Slam against Coco. Another terrible performance from me against Coco in the final.

Yeah, I have to just kind of, like, step back and look at this from the perspective and try to finally learn the lesson, because I cannot go out there every time against her in the finals of the Grand Slam and play such terrible tennis and give those wins, not easily, but like, emotionally, you know?

Q. Obviously there is another Grand Slam around the corner. Perhaps that helps a little bit to get over this one. I just wonder, when you have a disappointment like this, do you watch it back, or would you just rather forget all about it?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, no, I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world and this crazy -- if I could swear, I would swear right now, but this crazy thing that happened today.

I think everyone understands. I'm just trying to be very polite right now, but you know, there is no other word, you know, that could describe what just happened today on the court.

But yeah, tequila, gummy bears, and I don't know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days (smiling).

Q. How much will you compare this defeat to the one you suffered in the Australian Open in January? Do you think they are comparable or totally different matches?

ARYNA SABALENKA: In different ways I can actually see the same thing. Just the level was much better in the third set against Keys. She just basically overhit and went for crazy shots, and it went in. Kind of like overpowered me in the last couple of games.

And today was just, you know, she literally just put an extra ball on the other side than I did, so...

Yeah, I definitely have to, you know, step back and learn something, because I cannot keep doing the same mistake.

Q. Could you just explain what it was about the conditions that were so difficult? Was it the wind, was it kind of the coolness, a combo?

ARYNA SABALENKA: You know, it was quite funny because it was like wind going like crazy, like... how you say, how you call it like that direction... just like straight. Sometimes it would kind of, like, settle.

Then during the point, like, it was a joke, for real. When she would hit the ball, at some point the wind would just, like, let the ball fly like crazy, and you know, I was late every time. Plus, clay court, plus like a bit of wrong bounce.

I was, like, you know, yeah, probably I had to go like go really, really far behind and just, like, start playing those slopes maybe would really help me. But yeah, I wasn't in good conditions to kind of, like, think smart.

Q. Tennis is such a hard sport. Even when you win, you lose almost half the points. Do you think you would like to sort of improve on being kinder to yourself or accepting the lack of perfection, and I guess things along those lines just because in any match you're going to lose points in games and things like that? How you deal with those things, is that a work in progress for you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, obviously I've been doing really well with that in the last, I don't know, couple of years. It's just like sometimes, you know, you go to the old habit.

And, yeah, sometimes that happen. I guess you just have to, one more time, step back, learn and go out there and be better, you know?

But right now I don't see how can I be easy on myself, because honestly, guys, it's the worst match I've played in the last couple of months. It's just a joke. I cannot do that anymore in the finals.

I wouldn't care if I would play like that in, I don't know, fourth round or quarterfinals, but in the final of a Grand Slam, it's a bit -- it's a bit not right.

Q. Is it harder because it's the final of a Grand Slam? These events are so much bigger than anything else.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, that hurts. Especially when you've been playing really great tennis during the whole week. You know, you've been playing against a lot of tough opponents, Olympic champion, Iga, you know, and then you go out, and you play really bad.

Like, I don't know, I think Iga -- if Iga would win me another day, I think she would go out today and she would get the win. Yeah, it just hurts. Honestly hurts. I've been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that's hurt.