Coco Gauff rallied past world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping final to claim her first French Open title. The 21-year-old American recovered from a first-set loss to win 6 7(5), 6 2, 6 4 at Roland Garros. She is the first US woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Serena Williams in 2015.
The match opened with Sabalenka racing to a 4 1 lead in the opening set. Gauff fought back to even the score at 5-5 before Sabalenka edged the tiebreak 7-5. However Gauff refused to back down. She seized control in the second set by dictating the pace and forcing errors from her opponent. Gauff closed it out 6 2 in just 38 minutes.
In the decider Gauff struck first to take a 3 1 lead. Sabalenka clawed back to 3-3, but Gauff held serve and broke again to move ahead. At championship point Gauff saved a break chance and Sabalenka’s final shot drifted wide. When the ball bounced off the clay, the crowd erupted in applause and Gauff dropped to her knees in celebration.
Gauff’s victory marks a milestone in her rise on clay. She now stands as a two-time major champion after her US Open win in 2023. This final was only the second time in three decades that the top two women in the world met in Paris, recalling Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013. Gauff’s mix of speed, defense and mental strength proved decisive against Sabalenka’s power game.
After the match Gauff praised her team and her own resolve. “I stayed calm when things got tough,” she said. “And I trusted my shots under pressure.” Sabalenka paid tribute to Gauff’s performance. “She played great tennis today,” she said. “I will learn from this experience and come back stronger.”
With this win Gauff adds her name to the short list of American champions on clay, and she looks ready to challenge for more titles in the seasons to come.
