“Give Them 5 Minutes”—Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open Controversy Takes Twist With US Legend’s Public Support

Controversial incidents aren’t forgotten easily. Ask Aryna Sabalenka, who was involved in one such incident after a thrilling battle against Coco Gauff in the French Open final. The world number 1 gave her all but couldn’t overcome the American sensation, who came back from a set down to defeat Sabalenka and win her first French Open title. Soon after the match, Sabalenka blamed the conditions for the loss against Gauff and even revealed that Swiatek could have defeated the American sensation in the final. This created quite a stir, and American legend Jimmy Connors came to Sabalenka’s defense with a thoughtful revelation.

Sabalenka was massively slammed for her post-match comments. Although she apologized later and even congratulated Gauff, the criticism was doing the rounds on social media. Amid this, Sabalenka found some respite in the form of Connors, who defended her in this episode.

During the Advantage Connors podcast, the American legend was asked if Aryna Sabalenka committing 70 unforced errors played on her mind while making those shocking admissions. He revealed, “Yeah. I think that’s all part of it. After a tough match, whether it’s the final of the French or Wimbledon, whatever, everyone wants to hear your thoughts right away. Maybe it’d be better to give them 5 minutes. Let the players take a breath. But they want to hear it right away; they want the scoop. And then they’re critical of it.”

Jimmy Connors on Aryna Sabalenka’s post-match comments after her loss to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, ‘Maybe it’d be better to give them 5 minutes. Let the players take a breath’

Brett: “If you make 70 unforced errors in a match, you probably feel like you gave the match away,… pic.twitter.com/H6hSKEikV7

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 12, 2025

Further, he went on to add, “These guys think they know what they’re talking about when they’ve not done it and haven’t been there. You can sit there and say, ‘Well, I saw this… I’ve watched so much tennis and I know what’s in your mind.’ You don’t know what’s in my mind. You have no clue. And by the way, not every player has the same thing going through their mind. Everybody is an individual. Let the players take a breath sometimes. Just take a breath.”

Not only the fans but also fellow players and legends of the sport called out Aryna Sabalenka for her comments. Even Gauff was surprised by Sabalenka’s comments and gave her the benefit of the doubt. Amid this, with Connors offering support to Sabalenka, she gets much-needed respite in the ongoing episode. Meanwhile, Sabalenka immediately took to her Instagram handle and apologized for her comments.

What did Aryna Sabalenka say after the controversial episode?

Although such comments were unexpected to come from the world number 1, Sabalenka, she was extremely emotional after her loss. She threw the chance to win her first French Open title away, and she couldn’t handle the burden of pressure in a crunch contest. As a result, emotions flew, and she made the controversial remark in the heat of the moment. Later, she posted an Instagram story with a note of her apology.

Aryna Sabalenka revealed, “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.”

Further, she also credited Gauff for winning her maiden French Open trophy. With little time to ponder, the action quickly shifts to grass, with the Wimbledon Championships not very far away. As a result, Sabalenka has a chance to make amends and leave the French Open controversy behind.

The post “Give Them 5 Minutes”—Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open Controversy Takes Twist With US Legend’s Public Support appeared first on EssentiallySports.