Sabalenka following US Open final loss to Gauff: “It was more about me than her”
Aryna Sabalenka rued her flurry of unforced errors throughout Saturday’s US Open final that contributed to her three-set loss at the hands of Coco Gauff.
© Chryslène Caillaud
Aryna Sabalenka made sure to praise Coco Gauff for the 19-year-old’s performance en route to her first-ever Grand Slam title, which Gauff secured by beating Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open final on Saturday afternoon.
At the same time, though, Sabalenka felt that she lost the match to a greater extent than Gauff won it.
The world No 2, who will become No 1 for the first time in her career on Monday, was emotional throughout the post-match trophy ceremony. In her ensuing press conference the overwhelming sentiment was frustration.
It’s me against me.
Aryna Sabalenka
“I mean, the good news is that it’s me against me,” Sabalenka explained. “The bad one is that I’m still having these issues playing against myself, I would say.
“I would definitely say that she was moving really well and defending really great — better than anybody else. So I always had to play like an extra ball. It’s a combination of everything. But I would say that today was more because of me. Like…not the whole match, but there [were] key moments in the second set — the moments I lost — and those moments helped her to turn around the [match].
“Afterwards, of course her unbelievable defending game (was important) but I would say that just because of the key moments in the second set, it was more about me than her. I lost this match.”
Sabalenka undone by 46 unforced errors
Look no further than the stat sheet to see what Sabalenka is talking about.
The Belarusian more than doubled Gauff’s unforced error count (46 to 19). Sabalenka also double-faulted six times and served at a dreadful 52 percent. She made 16 errors in each of the second and third sets. While Sabalenka was busy making 16 mistakes in the decider, Gauff made only two.
“Sometimes I can get emotional,” the 25-year-old admitted. “Today on the court I was overthinking and I was missing balls I shouldn’t be missing.
“That’s what I’m saying. I’m making a lot of winners and a lot of unforced errors. Today it was unforced errors — a lot in the second set, and that’s where I [let] her believe that she can win this match. I got over-emotional after the second set.
“So, yeah, that’s what I mean — like me against me.”
