Madison Keys is the latest star to be asked her thoughts on Aryna Sabalenka’s well-documented comments about Coco Gauff following the French Open final.
It is a saga that still persists even now, a week on from the American’s triumph in Paris.
Coming from a set down, she dealt with the treacherous conditions far better than her opponent, who then had some choice words in her post-match press conference.
Since coming under fire, after Sabalenka’s controversial comments about Gauff’s Roland Garros title, the Belarusian has been lambasted relentlessly, particularly by American media.
However, it’s a saga that has been going on for far longer than it needed to, and Madison Keys is well aware of that.
Madison Keys has firm stance on Aryna Sabalenka’s Coco Gauff comments
Seeking to distance herself from the controversy, quelling it with her indifference, she was asked about it in her post-match press conference after reaching the semi-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships.
Her response was blunt: ‘To be honest, I don’t think I really care. Especially if I have won, doesn’t really matter what they say or think (smiling).
‘I mean, it’s tough. It’s emotional, and I think sometimes emotions get the best of people. Things just kind of come out and you don’t necessarily mean them fully.
‘Then there is other times where, you know, you feel very disappointed in yourself because you didn’t play to the level that you expect yourself to. I think sometimes those are kind of hard moments to navigate, and especially if there is a microphone in front of you. I think sometimes we say things that we wish we could take back.
‘Again, I don’t think Coco cares (smiling).’
The reporter then wondered if she had ever regretted a post-match comment, to which Keys continued: ‘I don’t think so. Now I’m going to be, at 3:00 a.m., I’m going to be, Have I said anything that I regret?
‘I will tell you if it wakes me up in the middle of the night and I think of something.’
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka’s rivalry is heating up
Whilst these comments were likely flippant and emotional, and irrelevant to the budding rivalry between Coco Gauff and Sabalenka, few can deny the spectacle these two put on when they meet.
Last Saturday marked their 11th meeting, and finally saw one of them pull ahead in their head-to-head.
Previously poised at five wins apiece, it is one of the most equal and competitive rivalries on tour, made even more interesting given their wildly varying play styles.
They did not need a string of controversial comments to stoke the flames of their on-court feud, but it can’t harm the fierce competition between the two.
Gauff vs Sabalenka promises to be the match to look out for in the foreseeable future, with the two destined to continue meeting at the latter stages to compete for elite honours.
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