Aryna Sabalenka stirred controversy after losing to Coco Gauff in the French Open final on Saturday, stating in the post-match press conference that Iga Swiatek, who she beat in the semifinal, would have won the crown had she faced Gauff in the title game.

A frustrated Sabalenka called her loss to Gauff “the worst final” she has ever played after an error-strewn display dashed her hopes of a fourth Grand Slam title.

World number one Sabalenka won the opening set on a blustery day in Paris but watched the trophy slip from her grasp as she made a tournament-worst 70 unforced errors in tricky conditions.

The 27-year-old suffered her second Grand Slam final defeat in a row after losing in Australia, with Gauff triumphing 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 to capture her second major.

“It was really honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in the last I don’t know how many months,” said Sabalenka.

“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Gauff’s first Grand Slam title also came at the expense of Sabalenka — at the 2023 US Open, with the American fighting back from a set down on that occasion as well.

Sabalenka raced into a 4-1 lead and eventually won a tie-break to pocket the first set Saturday, but Gauff adjusted better to the gusty winds on a gloomy afternoon.

“I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes,” said Sabalenka.

“I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn’t really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say.”

“Sometimes that happens, you know? You just wake up, and you don’t feel your best and another player goes for whatever and it works, and for you nothing is working,” she added.

Sabalenka, who had been full of confidence after knocking out Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and then ending Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros, made her most attention-grabbing comment towards the end of the presser when she stated: “It hurts. Especially when you’ve been playing really great tennis during the whole week. You’ve been playing against a lot of tough opponents, Olympic champion [Qinwen Zheng]. Iga. And then you go out and play really bad. I don’t know.

“I think if Iga would win at me the other day, I think she would go out today, and she would get the win. It’s just… (laughs). It just hurts, honestly.”

The comments were slammed by tennis fans on social media as “bitter” and “disrespectful” to Gauff.

When asked about her opponent’s remarks in her press conference, Gauff brushed it aside as not “fair”.

“I don’t agree with that. I mean, I’m sitting here,” said the American.

“No shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets. I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say. Anything can really happen.”

Additional reporting by AFP