Coco Gauff captured her maiden French Open singles title on Saturday with a dramatic 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, marking her second Grand Slam championship. The 21-year-old American showcased poise and resilience, overcoming a one-set deficit to once again defeat Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final, just as she did at the 2023 U.S. Open.
After clinching the final point, Gauff collapsed to the clay, overwhelmed with emotion. Tears streamed down her face as she lay on her back, hands covering her face. She then rose, visibly emotional, placing a hand over her mouth before dropping to her knees in celebration.
Moments later, she shared a heartfelt hug with Sabalenka at the net, thanked the chair umpire, and released a cry of joy and relief. Her celebrations continued with her team and family in the stands, where she embraced filmmaker Spike Lee and soaked in the moment just three years after losing her first Grand Slam final on the same court.
Gauff’s victory also makes her the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.
In her victory speech, Gauff expressed deep gratitude to her parents, saying, “You’ve done everything for me—from washing my clothes to keeping me grounded and believing in me more than I believed in myself.” She also thanked the French crowd for their vocal support, saying, “I don’t know what I did to deserve so much love, but I appreciate it.”
Gauff reflected on her painful 2022 loss in the Paris final at age 18, admitting it had put her in a “dark place.” Her ability to bounce back has defined her growth since then.
The matchup was historic—featuring the top two players in the world in a French Open final for the first time since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013, and only the second time in three decades.
Sabalenka, visibly upset during her own speech, congratulated Gauff for being a “fighter” and admitted that the swirling wind made for a difficult, error-prone match. “This one hurts a lot,” she said. “But Coco, you were better in these tough conditions. Congratulations.”
Both players struggled with consistency early on, combining for 48 unforced errors in the first set alone. Despite making 32 errors, Sabalenka managed to take the opening set in a tiebreaker, sealing it with a volley at the net after Gauff had led 3-0 in the breaker.
Gauff adjusted her tactics in the second set, playing with more control and choosing her moments wisely. A powerful smash at the net evened the match, drawing huge cheers from the crowd.
Sabalenka opened the third set strongly, but Gauff quickly raised her game. A standout moment came in the third game: after a sequence of drop shots, Gauff lobbed Sabalenka, who chased it down and attempted a between-the-legs shot. Gauff read the play and smashed a winner, igniting the stadium.
Gauff broke serve for a 2-1 lead after a Sabalenka double fault, though the Belarusian fought back to level at 3-3. However, Gauff broke again at love, then held her nerve to serve out the match after 2 hours and 38 minutes of intense tennis.
The win adds another Roland-Garros trophy to Gauff’s collection, following her women’s doubles title from the previous year. This triumph further cements her status as one of the brightest stars in the sport.
