PARIS, FRANCE – Coco Gauff secured her second Grand Slam title on Saturday, winning the French Open after a three-set comeback victory against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Key Facts

• Championship Victory – Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 to win her first French Open title.
• Historical Significance – Gauff is the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015 and the third this century.
• Match Dynamics – Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors, while Gauff demonstrated mental resilience in challenging, windy conditions.

The 21-year-old’s victory at Roland Garros marks her second major championship, following her 2023 US Open win, also against Sabalenka.

How Gauff Overcame an Early Deficit

The final, played under challenging windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, began with Sabalenka asserting dominance, taking an early 4-1 lead in the first set. Despite being down 40-0 in the sixth game, Gauff initiated a comeback, breaking Sabalenka’s serve twice to level the score and eventually force a tiebreak. Sabalenka ultimately secured the first set 7-6 (5) after a competitive 77 minutes, marked by 32 unforced errors from Sabalenka compared to Gauff’s 16.

The Turning Point in the Second and Third Sets

Gauff displayed significant mental fortitude, a trait she showed throughout her run to the final, which included overcoming 30 double faults in previous matches. In the second set, Gauff quickly gained momentum, breaking Sabalenka’s serve twice to establish a 4-1 lead. Sabalenka, visibly frustrated and making errors, conceded the second set 6-2. The third set saw Gauff break early to lead 2-1, but Sabalenka broke back to level at 3-3. Gauff, however, regained control, breaking Sabalenka’s serve once more to lead 4-3, and ultimately closed out the match 6-4, securing the championship on her second match point as Sabalenka’s backhand landed wide. Sabalenka concluded the match with a total of 70 unforced errors.

A Second Grand Slam Title and Historic Achievement

Gauff’s victory makes her the youngest American woman to win the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup since Serena Williams in 2002. Her win also marks her as the first American woman to clinch the French Open title in a decade, since Serena Williams’s triumph in 2015. In her post-match remarks, Gauff, who was congratulated by figures including former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, expressed her desire to be a “reflection of hope and light” for people in America. Sabalenka, who reached three consecutive Grand Slam finals for the first time since Serena Williams in 2016, expressed disappointment in her performance, stating, “This one hurts so much…to show such terrible tennis in the final, that really hurts.”