Gauff beats world number one Sabalenka to win French Open women’s title

Coco Gauff staged a remarkable comeback to defeat top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday’s French Open final, claiming her first Roland Garros title and second Grand Slam victory.

At 21, Gauff becomes the first American woman to win the singles title in Paris since Serena Williams in 2015, and the youngest U.S. player to do so since Williams in 2002.

Although the match marked the first major final between the world’s top two women since the 2018 Australian Open, it initially fell short of expectations on a windy Court Philippe Chatrier.

Sabalenka, contesting her third consecutive Grand Slam final but first on clay, took early control with aggressive net play and a mix of drop shots and powerful groundstrokes, breaking Gauff to love in the third game and racing to a 4-1 lead.

However, Gauff fought back, breaking Sabalenka from 40-0 down and drawing even after eight games. Both players struggled in the tricky conditions, exchanging errors before Gauff forced a tiebreak with a precise backhand winner. Despite leading 4-1 in the breaker, Gauff let the set slip as Sabalenka surged back to take it.

Undeterred, the 2023 U.S. Open champion raised her game in the second set, winning four of the first five games as Sabalenka’s unforced errors mounted to 51, allowing Gauff to level the match.

In the final set, Gauff—runner-up in Paris in 2022—hit another gear, building a 3-1 lead. Though Sabalenka mounted a brief comeback, Gauff held her nerve and closed out the match, sparking jubilant celebrations from her supporters.