"With emotion, it's not always easy to be diplomatic," Djokovic reflects on the incident between Sabalenka and Gauff

During media day at Wimbledon, Djokovic responded to remarks made by Sabalenka after the French Open final. The Belarusian had downplayed her opponent's victory, stating that it was mainly because she played a very bad match.

"In the end, we are all human beings, we have emotions that are difficult to manage after losing a big match, like a Grand Slam final for example. So, unexpected things can happen. When you're caught up in emotion and your blood is boiling, it's not always easy to express yourself and be diplomatic. Even though it's always important to respect and acknowledge the success of the opponent who just beat you.

I saw everything she said, and I think she eventually clarified things. Listen, it happens. Maybe it was misunderstood, but she didn't mean to disrespect Coco. Most of the times I've played Grand Slam finals with opponents over the last 20 years, the majority of them have always been conducted with mutual respect, whether I win or lose.

Tennis is a very good example of this compared to other sports because it gives you the opportunity, as a finalist, to pay tribute to your opponent, but also to everyone involved in the tournament. Is it easy? Is it really smooth and natural when you talk about it? No, absolutely not. But you learn to develop this mechanism and to suppress those emotions." Remarks reported by Tennis Up To Date.