American tennis star Coco Gauff rallied from a set down to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling French Open final on Saturday, clinching her maiden Roland Garros title and second Grand Slam crown. With this victory, the 21-year-old became the first American woman to win the singles title in Paris since Serena Williams in 2015 and the youngest from the US to do so since Williams in 2002.
In the game between the top two ranked women in the world, Gauff showed remarkable grit and resilience. Despite losing the first set in a tight tiebreak, she regrouped to dominate the second, capitalising on Sabalenka’s 51 unforced errors.
Sabalenka, appearing in her third consecutive Grand Slam final but first on clay, started strong with aggressive net play and drop shots to lead 4-1 in the opening set. But Gauff clawed back and after losing the tiebreak despite a 4-1 lead, she came out swinging in the second set.
The American continued her momentum in the decider, going up 3-1 before Sabalenka fought back. Yet, Gauff stayed composed and sealed the win with a powerful baseline game.
Gauff’s triumph also marked the first time since the 2018 Australian Open that the top two women in the world rankings met in a Grand Slam final. Having previously lifted the 2023 US Open trophy, she now joins an elite club with Slam titles on both hard and clay courts.
American tennis star Coco Gauff defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to clinch the French Open women’s singles title.
The victory marks world number two Gauff’s second Grand Slam title and her first major triumph on clay. Gauff also became the youngest player to win both the French Open and US Open women’s singles titles since Serena Williams achieved the feat in 2002.
(With inputs from agencies)