Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka dance away feud rumours at Wimbledon 2025

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka have put any rumours of lingering tension to rest following their French Open final, proving their bond is stronger than ever with a lighthearted dance video at Wimbledon.

The two tennis stars, ranked No. 2 and No. 1 respectively, shared a TikTok on Friday, grooving on Centre Court to C+C Music Factory’s 1990 hit Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).

Sabalenka captioned the clip on Instagram, noting that “TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together.” Gauff echoed the sentiment, posting a video outside Wimbledon’s main stadium with the caption, “The olive branch was extended and accepted! We’re good, so you guys should be too.”

Their display of camaraderie comes just weeks after a controversial moment at the French Open, where Gauff defeated Sabalenka 6–7 (5), 6–2, 6–4 to claim the title.

Post-match, Sabalenka faced backlash for commenting that Gauff’s win was due to her errors rather than exceptional play, saying, “not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes from … easy balls.”

The Belarusian later apologised, calling her remarks “unprofessional” and reaching out to Gauff privately. The 21-year-old American accepted the apology, emphasising her desire to move forward without fueling negativity.

On Saturday, as they prepared for Wimbledon — where they could only meet in the July 12 final — the duo addressed the controversy again.

Gauff, who faces Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday, urged fans and media to let go of the criticism directed at Sabalenka. “I’m not the person that will fuel hate in the world,” she said, noting that some reactions were overly harsh. Sabalenka, set to play Carson Branstine on Monday, expressed relief at their reconciled friendship, saying, “We are good, we are friends,” and hoped for kinder treatment from the US media.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, admitted her French Open comments stemmed from emotional frustration.

Gauff, while initially tempted to respond publicly, chose to embody her values of “love” and “light,” advocating for a drama-free Wimbledon. Their joint practice session and playful TikTok serve as a testament to their mutual respect, signalling to fans that any past friction is firmly in the rearview mirror as they focus on the tournament ahead.

— With inputs from AP