LONDON (AP) — As if there were any doubt whether Aryna Sabalenka's loss in the Wimbledon semifinals on Thursday brought to mind her loss in the French Open final — and its aftermath — a month ago, she made it quite clear right away.
"Are you guys waiting for something? You're not going to see a ‘Roland-Garros press conference,'" the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka said when she arrived for her question-and-answer session with reporters after being eliminated by Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Centre Court, "so anyone who was waiting for that, you can leave right now."
It was delivered as a punch line, knowing full well that the three-time Grand Slam champion was widely criticized for her words following a three-set loss to Coco Gauff with the trophy at stake in Paris.
There was plenty of online venom directed Sabalenka's way.
So much so, that Sabalenka first wrote a private apology to Gauff, then offered a public mea culpa, before the two patched things up by posting TikTok and Instagram videos together right before the start of competition at the All England Club.