‘I completely lost it in Paris – the lesson is learned’

The world’s number one and countless Grand Slam champion, Aryna Sabalenka, admits to having “lost control” of her emotions when the sport’s biggest prizes are in dispute.

Therefore, Wimbledon gives Sabalenka the opportunity to reclaim her fourth Grand Slam title and the chance to transform a humble encounter into a turning point.

The 27-year-old has reached the Australian Open and French Open finals this year, but she has lost both of their title matches. After being defeated by Coco Gauff in Paris three weeks ago, she described her conqueror in insulting terms that she later acknowledged had been “completely unprofessional.”

She said in her first opinion that Gauff was successful because of Sabalenka’s own errors from “easy balls” rather than because she played incredible.

Gauff’s performance was described as “just a joke” by Sabalenka, who added, “Sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball right out of the frame.” You are somewhat on the back foot because of how magically the ball magically lands in the court.

The comments, which came after the American’s 2023 US Open final, were widely believed to be Gauff’s, did not give the American enough credit for the American’s second Grand Slam title.

Sabalenka remarked, “I’ve always had a great relationship with Coco.”

“I really didn’t want to offend her,” she said. I simply had to let go of my emotions. I completely lost it.

I followed my instructions. I believe that I am given what I deserve. I had a difficult time going through. The lesson has been learned.

“This time, I experienced emotions.” Sometimes I can become overly emotional in the semi-finals or finals. That could be improved, I hope.

I think I should stick to the same mindset I have throughout the tournament because I think I’m overeager in the tournament’s final stages because I want to win.

Sabalenka has lost four of her past six finals, but she is far ahead of the competition in the WTA rankings. She will face Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in the first round of Wimbledon, which she has not yet won.

Since I learned a lot from Paris, I’m kind of happy, said Sabalenka, “to be honest.” I was able to relax and be open to myself rather than simply ignore some things. I sincerely hope it will never occur again.

She stated that she would enjoy facing “Gauff” in the Wimbledon final. They won’t be able to meet until then because they are the top two seeds. In their first career head-to-head matchup, Gauff leads by 6-5.

When competing sports teams have to switch emotions, especially when the stakes are high.

Novak Djokovic has developed a strong sense of handling the biggest situations, and he can still find the right words even when he’s down.

However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion had no problem with it.

He therefore comprehends Sabalenka’s challenge of remaining calm while the adrenaline is high.

“We are all human beings that have difficult emotions that they have to deal with right away after losing a significant match,” said Djokovic.

“Grand Slam finals,” as she did against Coco, for instance. When your emotions are so high, your blood starts to run high.

Even though I believe it’s important to pay respect and acknowledge the success of your opponent who just beat you, it’s not always easy to suppress that and prioritize diplomacy.

After a practice session, Sabalenka reached out to Djokovic for pre-tournament support.