Shaquille O’Neal’s Close Friend & Draymond Green Not Fond of This Incident at Coco Gauff’s French Open Win

Coco Gauff just did it! The 21-year-old American tennis superstar battled her way to a thrilling victory at the 2025 French Open, taking down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tough three-set final, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. It was a moment of pure triumph. But instead of the conversation being all about Coco’s incredible achievement, the post-match press conference took a full 180 with Sabalenka’s less-than-gracious comments about the loss sparking a firestorm of criticism, even catching the attention of some big names from the NBA world, like Draymond Green and Shaquille O’Neal’s close friend, Nishelle Turner.

So, here’s what went down: After the loss, Aryna told reporters: “(Coco) won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.” Oof. That’s a tough look. To basically say your opponent didn’t win, but that you lost, is a classic case of sour grapes.

The reaction from the sports world was swift, and it wasn’t just tennis commentators who were raising their eyebrows. Nishelle Turner, the Emmy-winning co-host of “Entertainment Tonight” and a close personal friend of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, had a simple but powerful reaction. She commented on a post about Sabalenka’s quote with a classic GIF of Viola Davis as Annalise Keating from “How to Get Away with Murder,” where Keating just looks utterly disappointed and walks away. For anyone who knows that GIF, it’s the universal sign for “I’m out. I can’t even with this.” 

And then there’s Draymond Green. The Golden State Warriors star, who knows a thing or two about intense competition and post-game talk, also weighed in on his Instagram story. He posted a report of Sabalenka’s comments and wrote, “Cook Coco“ followed by a bunch of laughing emojis.

(This is a developing story…)

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