Coco Gauff captured her first French Open singles crown with a stunning comeback victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping final on Saturday.
The 21-year-old American and second seed triumphed 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 after a tense battle between the WTA Tour’s top two players, played in blustery conditions at Roland Garros.
It marks the second Grand Slam singles title of Gauff’s career, following her US Open win in 2023, also against Sabalenka.
“I honestly didn’t think I could do it,” an emotional Gauff said during the trophy presentation.
The young star overcame a poor start in which she fell behind by a double break, but she found her rhythm and capitalized on a slew of unforced errors from the 27-year-old Belarusian.
“This hurts so much. Congratulations to Coco — she was a better player than me today,” said Sabalenka, who was also aiming for her first Roland Garros title.
The match was dominated early by swirling winds that disrupted both players’ serves, leading to a staggering 12 breaks in the opening two sets.
In the decisive third, Gauff settled quicker and broke early, holding her nerve through a tense finish. She saved a break point before clinching the title on her second championship point, collapsing onto the clay as Sabalenka sent a forehand wide.
Her parents, Candi and Corey, were seen dancing joyfully in the stands as Gauff shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka before sprinting off to celebrate with her family.
