Gauff was the better player: Sabalenka backtracks on final comments
PA Media/DPA
Paris
Aryna Sabalenka has admitted Coco Gauff fully deserved to beat her in the French Open final, having been a less than gracious loser on Saturday evening.
The world number one dished up a portion of sour grapes in her press conference following Gauff's dramatic three-set win, complaining that the ball kept coming off the frame of the 21-year-old's American's racket.
She added: 'I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.'
But Sabalenka, 27, has now rowed back on her comments in a post on Instagram.
She wrote: 'Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win.
'She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned.
'You all know me. I'm always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can't pretend it was a great day for me.
'But both things can be true. I didn't play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose. She earned that title. Respect.'
Meanwhile Gauff said she wants her French Open victory to give hope to 'Americans that look like me'.
The 21-year-old, now a two-time grand slam champion, says she wants to bring 'hope and light' to black Americans who feel under-represented.
'It means a lot and obviously there's a lot going on in our country right now,' she said.
'But just to be able to be a representation of that and a representation of, I guess, people that look like me in America who maybe don't feel as supported during this time period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light for those people.'
Gauff won the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, days after the re-election of US President Donald Trump.
'I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt (a) down period a little bit,' she added. 'My mum told me during Riyadh, 'Just try to win the tournament just to give something for people to smile for'.
'So that's what I was thinking about today when holding that (trophy).
'And then seeing the flags in the crowd means a lot. You know, some people may feel some type of way about being patriotic and things like that.
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