Coco Gauff of the United States lifts the winners trophy aft her triumph against Aryna Sabalenka successful the Final of the Women's singles contention connected Court Philippe-Chatrier during the 2025 French Open Tennis Tournament astatine Roland Garros connected June 7, 2025, successful Paris, France.
Sipa via AP Images
Drawing connected the achy representation of her decision 3 years agone successful the French Open last gave Coco Gauff conscionable the information she needed to triumph the clay-court large for the archetypal time.
The 21-year-old American defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 connected Saturday for her 2nd Grand Slam title, 2 years aft winning the U.S. Open.
"I deliberation (the U.S. Open victory) was much affectional but this 1 was harder," said Gauff, who managed to grip the elements and the momentum swings amended than Sabalenka. "I knew it was going to beryllium astir volition powerfulness and intelligence (strength)."
The triumph enactment to remainder the atrocious memories of her 2022 French Open last nonaccomplishment to Iga Swiatek when, arsenic an 18-year-old, Gauff felt overwhelmed adjacent earlier stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.
"It was a pugnacious time, I was doubting myself," Gauff recalled. "I was crying earlier the match, and truthful nervous, virtually couldn't respire and stuff."
Gauff said that the lopsided nonaccomplishment rocked her assurance to specified an grade that she was near "in a acheronian place" and feared she was not chopped retired for winning large titles.
"I thought if I can't grip this however americium I going to grip it again?" she said.
She handled it conscionable good connected Saturday.
The second-ranked Gauff made less mistakes and kept her emotions successful cheque to get the amended of Sabalenka again astatine large final, having travel from a acceptable down to bushed the Belarusian successful the 2023 U.S. Open final.
Gauff raised the winners' trophy aloft, past kissed it respective times. She held her manus implicit her bosom erstwhile the U.S. nationalist anthem played.
"This 1 is heavy," Gauff said. "It feels large to assistance it."
She is the archetypal American pistillate to triumph astatine Roland-Garros since Serena Williams successful 2015.
It was the archetypal No. 1 vs. No. 2 last successful Paris since 2013, erstwhile Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and conscionable the 2nd successful the past 30 years.
After Sabalenka sent a backhand wide connected Gauff's 2nd lucifer point, the 21-year-old American fell onto her back, covering her look with some hands arsenic she started to sob, past got up and held her manus implicit her mouth. She continued to sob arsenic she patted the clay with her near hand.
Gauff greeted Sabalenka astatine the nett with a lukewarm hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed retired with joyousness and relief, past got to her knees and crouched forward, continuing to outcry arsenic she savored the win.
She hugged aboriginal movie manager Spike Lee and celebrated with her entourage successful her container earlier thanking the fans.
"You guys were cheering for maine truthful hard," she said. "I don't cognize what I did to merit truthful overmuch emotion from the French crowd."
One happening Gauff could not negociate — yet — was a triumph code successful French.
"I wholly tanked connected that," she said, adding that she volition effort successful the future. "I don't deliberation I could bash a full code but possibly a bully thing to accidental to the French crowd."
Sabalenka praised Gauff for being a "fighter" and said she deserved the win, but added that the windy conditions made for an error-strewn contest.
"This volition wounded truthful much," Sabalenka said. "Coco, congrats, successful the pugnacious conditions you were a amended subordinate than me."
Both players were sloppy successful the archetypal set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors betwixt them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet inactive winning the set. She made 70 altogether successful the match, compared to 30 wide for Gauff.
Sabalenka was often frustrated, remonstrating and shouting astatine herself and often turning astir to look astatine her squad with an exasperated look connected her face. She enactment her caput connected her hands a mates of times, and astatine 1 constituent raised her shoulders arsenic if to accidental "What's going on?"
Gauff said she paid nary attention, knowing afloat good that Sabalenka could find her champion crippled astatine immoderate moment.
The archetypal acceptable looked to beryllium heading Gauff's mode erstwhile she led 3-0 successful the tiebreaker, but Sabalenka steadied herself and clinched it with a forehand volley astatine the net.
Gauff leveled the lucifer with a smash astatine the net. But Sabalenka stuck to her high-risk attack successful the deciding set.
One superb rally successful the 3rd crippled drew large cheers.
After an aggravated speech of driblet shots, Gauff deed a lob that Sabalenka chased down earlier attempting a changeable betwixt her legs — lone for Gauff to intercept it astatine the net.
It was a uncommon item connected a time erstwhile swirling upwind troubled some players with the extortion open.
"It was pugnacious to works your feet, the shot was moving truthful much," Gauff said. "It was not a time for large tennis, honestly."
English (US) ·