PARIS — Coco Gauff captured her first French Open title and second Grand Slam championship Saturday, overcoming world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping three-set final, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4, at Roland Garros.
The victory marks a milestone for the 20-year-old American, who added the prestigious Paris crown to her 2023 U.S. Open title — both times defeating Sabalenka after dropping the opening set.
In a match defined by dramatic momentum swings and sustained tension, Gauff, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, showcased resilience and tactical maturity, seizing control in the second and third sets after narrowly losing a tight opening-set tiebreak. The triumph cemented her status as one of the top contenders in women’s tennis and dealt another narrow loss to Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final.
The showdown was the first French Open final between the top two seeded women since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Saturday’s clash also marked only the second No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the past three decades at Roland Garros.
Gauff’s road to the title in Paris included straight-sets victories in each of her previous matches leading up to the final. Against Sabalenka, she elevated her game under pressure, adjusting her baseline strategy and outmaneuvering her opponent with consistency and mental fortitude.
With this win, Gauff becomes the youngest American woman to claim the French Open title since Monica Seles in 1992. She also strengthens her bid to overtake the top spot in the world rankings later this season.
