In an electrifying final at the French Open, second seed Coco Gauff overcame top seed Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first title at Roland Garros.
Gauff, 21, made history by becoming the first American woman since 2015 to lift the French Open trophy, defeating Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling three-set match on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The match began with Sabalenka breaking Gauff twice to take an early 4-1 lead. However, Gauff adapted to the windy conditions and fought back, using a deft drop shot to break Sabalenka’s serve and close the gap. The first set culminated in a tiebreaker, where Sabalenka edged out Gauff 7-5 after coming back from a 3-0 deficit.
Undeterred, Gauff dominated the second set, winning 63% of her first serves and 67% of her second serves to take it 6-2. Her powerful groundstrokes and strategic play left Sabalenka struggling to keep up.
In the decisive third set, Gauff secured an early break, but Sabalenka responded, leveling the score at 3-3 when Gauff sent a shot long. Showing remarkable composure, Gauff broke Sabalenka’s serve once more and maintained her lead. Serving for the championship, Gauff sealed her victory when Sabalenka hit a forehand wide.
“This means the world to me,” Gauff said after the match. “Winning my first French Open title is a dream come true.”
Sabalenka, who had defeated three-time champion Iga Swiatek to reach the final, praised Gauff’s performance. “She played incredibly,” Sabalenka said. “I gave my all, but today she was the better player.”
With this victory, Gauff adds a second Grand Slam title to her name, having previously won the US Open in 2023. Her success at Roland Garros cements her status as one of the rising stars in women’s tennis.
