Coco Gauff staged a remarkable comeback to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final on Saturday, claiming her second Grand Slam title. After dropping the first set, Gauff rallied to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4, adding to her victory over Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open. The match lasted two hours and 38 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, allowing Gauff to redeem herself after losing to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 final.
“I was going through a lot of things when I lost in this final three years ago. I’m just happy to be here,” Gauff said. “I didn’t think honestly that I could do it… I think I was lying to myself that I definitely could do it.”
This loss marks Sabalenka’s second consecutive defeat in a Grand Slam final, following her loss to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January. Despite her strong performance throughout the tournament, Sabalenka struggled with 70 unforced errors in challenging windy conditions.
“Obviously it hurts so much, especially after such a tough two weeks when I played such great tennis in these terrible conditions,” Sabalenka expressed. “To show such terrible tennis in the final, it does really hurt.”
Gauff’s victory improves her head-to-head record against Sabalenka to 6-5, making her the more consistent player in a historic final featuring the world’s top two players. Only Gauff, Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, and Maria Sharapova have won multiple Grand Slam titles before turning 22 in the last 20 years.
The match began with Sabalenka taking an early lead, but Gauff fought back, leveling the first set after a tense tie-break. The first set lasted 77 minutes, making it the longest in a women’s Grand Slam final since 2002. Gauff dominated the second set, quickly establishing a 4-1 lead and closing it out with confidence.
In the deciding set, Gauff broke Sabalenka early and maintained her lead despite some challenges. After saving a break point, she secured the title on her second match point, celebrating her victory on the clay court.