LONDON (BN24) — Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka left no doubt Friday that any hard feelings after their French Open final were firmly behind them, joining forces for a playful dance on Centre Court at Wimbledon and posting the clips across social media.
The two top-ranked tennis stars put on a show to C+C Music Factory’s 1990 hit “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” swaying and laughing together on the grass in a moment that quickly went viral.
“TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together,” Sabalenka wrote on Instagram, captioning the video of the pair’s moves during a practice session ahead of Wimbledon’s start on Monday.
Gauff, who regularly shares videos with her millions of followers, uploaded her own clip outside the All England Club’s main stadium. In it, she and Sabalenka mouthed the words: “OK, guys, we’re back. Did you miss us? ’Cause we missed you.”
“The olive branch was extended and accepted! we’re good so you guys should be too,” Gauff added in her caption.
Three weeks ago, Gauff defeated Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 to claim the French Open title. Sabalenka’s remarks after the match — suggesting Gauff had not played “incredible” tennis and instead won because Sabalenka made too many errors — stirred controversy.
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, later admitted her comments were “unprofessional” and reached out privately to apologize.
On Friday, the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka and No. 2-ranked Gauff looked united in spirit as they prepared for the year’s third Grand Slam. They could only meet again if both advance to the Wimbledon final on July 12 — setting up the possibility of another high-stakes showdown.
Gauff, 21, has twice defeated Sabalenka in major finals, including last year’s U.S. Open. But for now, the pair seemed more interested in lighthearted camaraderie than rivalry.
AP
