“‘I Embarrassed Myself and My Team’: What Aryna Sabalenka Admitted in the Gym After Her Crushing Loss to Coco Gauff”
Aryna Sabalenka, one of the fiercest competitors in modern tennis, is known for her power, passion, and relentless drive. But after her heartbreaking defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final, the Belarusian star showed a different kind of strength—emotional maturity and brutal honesty. According to her fitness trainer, Jason Stacy, what happened in the gym right after that match revealed just how much Sabalenka has grown as both an athlete and a person.
Speaking in an interview with Tennis Channel, Stacy opened up about the aftermath of that emotional loss. He explained that, while the world saw Sabalenka appear strong and full of energy on the court, inside she was struggling. “The match was tough,” Stacy admitted. “She looked ready, she looked powerful—but in that huge desire to win, she burned herself out. It created an extra problem for her mentally.”
The frustration built up point by point. Sabalenka, who had dominated much of the season, found herself unable to control the match against Gauff. The disappointment was obvious—not only in her body language but in the comments she made afterward, suggesting that Iga Swiatek would have probably beaten Gauff anyway. Fans didn’t take that statement well, interpreting it as poor sportsmanship. But what happened behind closed doors told a different story.
Once inside the gym after the match, Sabalenka stunned her entire team. Instead of lashing out or making excuses, she turned the criticism inward. “The greatest part was right after that match,” Stacy recalled. “When we were in the locker room or the gym, all she was talking about was how she was taking responsibility for it. She said her behavior was an embarrassment to the team and to herself.”
That moment of raw accountability marked a major shift for Sabalenka, who has previously been known for emotional outbursts and visible frustration during matches. But this time was different. Rather than wallowing, she took action. “The next morning, she came up with ideas about why it happened and how to fix it,” Stacy said. “Before, we would have to sit down, talk things through, drag the conversation out—but this time, she led it.”
According to Stacy, Sabalenka began reading a new book about mindset and performance and even approached her team with questions and strategies for improvement. “She came to us saying, ‘This is what I’ve been thinking—what do you guys think?’” Stacy revealed. “She was already much more mature and experienced about it.”
This level of self-awareness, her coach believes, is exactly what separates champions from the rest. In the world of elite tennis, physical talent can only take a player so far. True greatness, he says, comes from accountability and growth.
Sabalenka’s willingness to own her mistakes instead of deflecting them is proof of her evolution. Her loss to Coco Gauff may have stung deeply, but what she said in that gym—and how she responded the next day—showed the world that the Belarusian powerhouse is not just a fighter on court, but a student of herself.
As Stacy summed it up perfectly: “Being a top player means taking responsibility. And that’s exactly what Aryna did.”
