Coco Gauff didn't hold back when responding to Aryna Sabalenka's recent comments regarding the French Open final, where Gauff triumphed over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek to clinch her first Roland Garros title. Sabalenka had suggested it was "not fair" to claim Gauff would have performed well against Swiatek.

In a thrilling match marked by challenging and windy conditions, Gauff completed a comeback victory, defeating Sabalenka 6-7 6-2 6-4. This marked Gauff's second grand slam title, showcasing her resilience and skill.

However, the aftermath saw a frustrated Sabalenka heavily critiquing her performance, citing an astonishing 70 unforced errors and proclaiming it was "the worst final I have ever played." Despite her earlier victory over Swiatek in the semi-finals, ending the Pole's impressive 26-match winning streak at the French Open, Sabalenka faltered when it mattered most.

In an emotional press conference, she expressed her disappointment, saying, "That hurts. I was playing really great tennis all week, and then to perform like I did in the final just hurts." She continued, lamenting over the nature of the match: "It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was there laughing, like, 'let's see if you can handle this.'"

Sabalenka didn't stop there; she claimed, "I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes." Gauff, however, firmly disagreed with Sabalenka's assessment, emphasizing her deserving victory and her ability to handle the pressures of the match better.

"I don’t agree with that," Gauff stated confidently at her press conference, cradling the French Open trophy. "No shade to Iga or anything, but last time I played her I won in straight sets. The way Aryna was playing, she was the favorite to win, but I performed my best on the day."

Gauff also reflected on how she adapted her strategy for the tough conditions, which were quite different from her warm-up session. "Walking on the court and feeling the wind was tough," she recalled. "I knew it was going to be about willpower. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done, and that’s all that matters."

The tennis world is buzzing after this fierce exchange, as the dynamics between these emerging stars are sure to fuel future matches.