The China Mail - Sabalenka rues 'worst final' as French Open hopes blown off course

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.

"I guess today wasn't the day."

Sabalenka was attempting to become the only current women's player with titles at three of the four Grand Slam events.

- Greek island and tequila -

But after seeing her bid for a third straight Australian Open crown ended by Madison Keys in January, Sabalenka slid to another painful loss on the clay.

"I definitely have to, you know, step back and learn something, because I cannot keep doing the same mistake," she said.

"It's the worst match I've played in the last couple of months. It's just a joke. I cannot do that anymore in the finals.

"I wouldn't care if I would play like that in, I don't know, fourth round or quarter-finals, but in the final of a Grand Slam... it's a bit not right."

Sabalenka was full of confidence after knocking out Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and then ending Iga Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

But she couldn't deliver when it counted most, as Gauff avenged her loss to Sabalenka in last month's Madrid final.

"It just hurts. Honestly hurts. I've been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that hurts."

Sabalenka revealed her plans for a quick break in Greece, to help her switch off and reset before preparing for the transition to grass and Wimbledon.

"I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world... and this crazy thing that happened today," she said.

"Tequila, gummy bears, and I don't know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days."

Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year due to a shoulder injury but has reached the semi-finals in her last two appearances.

She did not compete in 2022 either after the tournament banned Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Z.Huang--ThChM