By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, June 7, 2025
Photograph credit score: Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty
Tears trickled down her cheeks as an anguished Aryna Sabalenka tried to make sense of the emotional wreckage.
Within the first French Open closing between the world’s high two ladies in 12 years, No. 2 Coco Gauff was just too robust for No. 1 Sabalenka at crunch time right now.
A resilient Coco Gauff combated Aryna Sabalenka’s fierce energy with pure poise pulling off a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 comeback to seize her maiden Roland Garros championship in a thriller.
Afterward, the world’s finest participant known as it her worst closing.
“It was actually actually the worst tennis I’ve performed within the final, I do not know, within the final I do not know what number of month,” Sabalenka informed the media in Paris afterward. “Situations have been horrible, and she or he merely was higher in these circumstances than me. I feel it was the worst closing I ever performed.”
Contesting her third straight main closing, Sabalenka fell to 3-3 lifetime in Grand Slam title matches.
The 21-year-old Gauff improved to 6-5 lifetime vs. Sabalenka exhibiting she’s not frightened of the Belarusian’s energy and exuding a love of combat fairly than fretting the battle when it will get tight.
After gutting out the opening set tiebreaker, Sabalenka spent a lot of this match preventing battles on a number of fronts.
The highest seed was attempting to tame her drives amid a tempestuous wind that typically gusted previous 25 mph, pierce the speedy Gauff’s vaunted protection and ability making her opponent play yet one more ball, and soothe the volcanic mood that erupted at occasions as her dream dissolved within the dust.
Regardless of all that drama and self-sabotage, Sabalenka nonetheless fought again from 1-3 down within the decider and gained a break level within the closing recreation earlier than Gauff drew two closing errors to shut a someday sloppy, however persistently pulsating closing in two hours, 38 minutes.
The highest seed mentioned at occasions she felt the tennis universe was taking part in a cosmic joke on her with Gauff’s operating retrievals turning Sabalenka’s damaging drives into punch strains.
“I imply, actually typically it felt like she was hitting the ball from the body,” Sabalenka mentioned. “By some means magically the ball lands within the courtroom, and also you form of, like, on the again foot.
“It felt like a joke, actually, like anyone from above was simply staying there laughing, like, let’s have a look at in the event you can deal with this. And I could not right now.
“I actually hope the subsequent time we play, if it is going to be the identical circumstances, I’ll play most likely a little bit bit smarter, not over-rush issues, and yeah, attempt to keep there and attempt to combat.”
Many will slam Sabalenka for her post-match remarks, however it’s necessary to use some perspective, too.
The adrenaline from this battle was nonetheless coursing by way of her veins when Sabalenka walked into her post-match presser. On reflection, she have been wiser to take a break to attempt to let feelings subside and clear her head earlier than assembly the media. It was Sabalenka’s second straight Slam closing loss to an underdog American opponent following Madison Keys’ epic Australian Open closing upset, which solely added to the anguish because the three-time Grand Slam champion may have been midway to a calendar Grand Slam.
A brave Keys dethroned two-time defending champion Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an inspirational AO showdown pitting premier energy gamers that escalated into gorgeous slugfest on Rod Laver Enviornment.
The Nineteenth-seeded Keys drilled a diagonal forehand winner closing the primary ladies’s main closing to go to 5-all within the decider since Serena Williams edged Victoria Azarenka within the 2012 US Open closing.
So Sabalenka was favored within the final two main finals solely to fall frustratingly quick.
On the identical time, Sabalenka aspires to be an all-surface champion.
One purpose she has but to win a significant on clay or grass is these pure surfaces current variable and the lady who can create chaos for opponents hasn’t proven the abilities to grasp unruly circumstances on slippery surfaces. That is what being an all-surface champion requires although so you must confront the problem fairly than simply complain about it.
If Sabalenka ever critiques a replay of this match, she’s going to see areas of enchancment tactically, emotionally and competitively. Gauff performed cleaner tennis amid chaotic circumstances, committing 40 fewer unforced errors and stamping seven love video games in comparison with two for Sabalenka.
When stress got here, Sabalenka tried to resolve it by squeezing photographs nearer to the strains—particularly on her down the road drives. As a substitute, she scattered 70 unforced errors.
You may’t fault Sabalenka for concentrating on Gauff’s weaker forehand wing—it’s a typical tactic and the world is aware of the Delray Seashore-born baseliner possesses probably the most damaging two-handed backhands within the recreation—however to serve almost solely to that forehand on the deuce courtroom, the Belarusian principally performed Gauff right into a groove on that forehand return. She’s No. 2 on the planet in the event you’re telegraphing your serve to her all through the match, what do you assume will occur?
The US Open champion is a worthy world No. 1, however Gauff was clearly the extra composed competitor who met each disaster level as a problem she may clear up, whereas Sabalenka was grunting, screaming and typically wailing at her field wanting a little bit like a flustered contender fretting her time on the salmon stage fairly than the world’s premier participant.
This loss will sting for fairly a very long time.
A disconsolate Sabalenka mentioned she’s going to deal with the ache with a panacea: Tequila and Gummy Bears.
Hopefully for the Belarusian, bears and booze will chase the Grand Slam ghosts away.
“I have already got a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar,” Sabalenka mentioned. “I simply want couple of days to utterly neglect about this loopy world and this loopy—if I may swear, I’d swear proper now, however this loopy factor that occurred right now…
“Tequila, gummy bears, and I do not know, swimming, being just like the vacationer for couple of days.”
