"I think it happens to everyone to lose control," Sabalenka clarifies her comments about Gauff

After her controversial remarks about Gauff following the Roland-Garros final, Sabalenka wanted to clarify her position once again. During media day in Berlin, the Belarusian explained that she had been overwhelmed by her emotions:

"It was absolutely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions take over. I regret what I said. We all make mistakes—I’m just a human being learning every day. I think it happens to everyone to lose control. Except, in my case, the whole world is watching, and I received much more hate than others for what I said.

I texted her afterward. I wanted to apologize and make sure she knew she deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her. I didn’t mean to attack her—I was very emotional and not very smart in the press conference. I’m not proud of myself. It took me time to step back and understand.

I realized a lot of things about myself. Why do I lose so many finals? I keep getting emotional. I always treat my opponents with the utmost respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn’t be here today. So it was tough, but also a good lesson for me." Comments reported by Eurosport.