Coco Gauff has addressed the controversy stemming from Aryna Sabalenka's comments after the French Open final, describing the situation as "very weird" and revealing her initial temptation to respond to the remarks. The saga began after Gauff defeated Sabalenka to win the French Open title. Visibly emotional after the match, Sabalenka stated that her loss was due to her own errors rather than Gauff's exceptional play. These comments sparked backlash online, with many fans deeming them dismissive of Gauff's victory.

In the wake of the controversy, Sabalenka issued an apology, calling her remarks "unprofessional" and reaching out to Gauff privately. Gauff accepted the apology, emphasizing her desire to move forward without fueling negativity. As the tennis world shifted its focus to Wimbledon, the reconciliation between Gauff and Sabalenka became a prominent topic. The two players even created a TikTok video together, dancing on Centre Court, signaling that any animosity had dissipated.

Gauff addressed the situation, stating that she was initially surprised by Sabalenka's comments and that the apology took a while to materialize. Despite this, Gauff chose not to escalate the situation, explaining that she didn't want to "fuel hate in the world". She felt that the criticism directed at Sabalenka had gone "too far" and that some reactions were overly harsh. "I'm not the person that will fuel hate in the world," Gauff said. "I think people were taking it too far. … It was just really targeting and saying a lot of things that I felt were not nice. I didn't want to fuel that more".

Sabalenka also addressed the controversy, reiterating that she never meant to offend Gauff. She explained that she was "completely upset" with herself and that her emotions had gotten the better of her. "I was just completely upset with myself, and emotions got over me," Sabalenka said. "I just completely lost it". She also expressed her hope that the TikTok video would demonstrate that all is well between the two players. "We are good, we are friends," Sabalenka said. "I hope the U.S. media can be easy on me right now".

The tennis community has largely welcomed the reconciliation between Gauff and Sabalenka. Frances Tiafoe, seeded 12th in the Wimbledon men's bracket, expressed his pleasure at seeing the two players "turn the page". "That's the biggest thing, because they're the best players in the world," Tiafoe said. "So those relationships you kind of need".

Gauff echoed this sentiment, posting a video outside Wimbledon's main stadium with the caption, "The olive branch was extended and accepted! We're good, so you guys should be too". Sabalenka also acknowledged that “TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together".

Both Gauff and Sabalenka are now focused on Wimbledon, where they are among the top contenders for the title. Their potential meeting in the final adds an extra layer of intrigue to the tournament. While their on-court rivalry is sure to be fierce, their off-court reconciliation has demonstrated their ability to maintain respect and camaraderie.