Coco Gauff summoned every ounce of resilience, poise, and belief to claim her maiden French Open crown, rallying past world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in a windswept, emotionally charged final at Roland Garros.
The American, already a US Open champion, showed remarkable composure and adaptability to capture her second Grand Slam title. On a day when conditions unsettled even the most seasoned stars, it was Gauff who mastered the moment.
Sabalenka began with blistering power and deceptive touch, her early drop shots pulling Gauff out of position and controlling the rhythm. But as the first set wore on, her tactics frayed and with them, her grip on the match.
By contrast, Gauff stayed calm. She absorbed pressure, adjusted her court positioning, and let Sabalenka implode under the weight of her own aggression. The Belarusian’s 70 unforced errors told a painful story.
Sabalenka had her chances. She led 4-1 in the first and served for the set at 6-5 but couldn’t convert. Gauff, unbothered by the wind or the scoreboard, won the second set with clinical efficiency and never looked back.
“She was better than me today,” Sabalenka admitted. “It really hurts.” Her frustration throughout, smacking thighs, shaking her head, revealed the mental toll the match had taken.
Gauff’s movement and high-percentage play wore her down. She dominated short rallies on her serve and forced Sabalenka to take riskier shots which often missed. It wasn’t flashy tennis, but it was brilliantly effective.
After sealing the title on a Sabalenka backhand that sailed long, Gauff looked skyward and thanked her team, her family, and even rapper Tyler, the Creator, for believing in her. “Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it,” she said. “I was lying to myself.”
Coco Gauff has now won on two surfaces, against two world No. 1s, in two finals where she wasn’t supposed to dominate.
