PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 07: Coco Gauff of United States with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy after her victory over Aryna Sabalenka within the Ladies’s Singles Closing match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France.
| Photograph Credit score: Getty Photos
Coco Gauff gained the French Open for the primary time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday’s closing.
The second-ranked Gauff got here out on high of a contest that was filled with rigidity and momentum swings to assert her second main trophy after the 2023 U.S. Open, the place she additionally got here from a set all the way down to beat Sabalenka within the closing.
Gauff raised the winners’ trophy aloft, then kissed it a number of occasions. She held her hand over her coronary heart when the U.S. nationwide anthem performed.
It was the primary No. 1 vs. No. 2 closing in Paris since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and simply the second within the final 30 years.
After Sabalenka despatched a backhand vast on Gauff’s second match level, the 21-year-old American fell onto her again, masking her face with each palms as she began to sob, then obtained up and held her hand over her mouth. She continued to sob as she patted the clay together with her left hand.
After greeting Sabalenka on the internet with a heat hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed out with pleasure and reduction, then obtained to her knees and crouched ahead, persevering with to cry as she savored the win.
She hugged later movie director Spike Lee and celebrated together with her entourage in her field, three years after she misplaced in her first Grand Slam closing at Roland-Garros.
In her on-court speech, she stated that defeat in 2022 on the age of 18 put her in a “darkish place” after which thanked the followers on Courtroom-Philippe Chatrier, who had been rooting principally for her.
“The group actually helped me right this moment, you guys had been cheering for me so onerous and I do not know what I did to deserve a lot love from the French crowd,” she stated. “However I respect you, guys.” Sabalenka was in tears moments earlier when she made her speech. Struggling to seek out her phrases, she praised Gauff for being a “fighter” and stated she deserved the win, however added that the windy circumstances made for an error-strewn contest.
“This can damage a lot. Coco, congrats, within the robust circumstances you had been a greater participant than me,” she stated. “Effectively executed, nice two weeks, and congrats on the second Grand Slam, it is properly deserved.” Sabalenka began the deciding set strongly, sticking to her high-risk strategy to carry her first service sport.
Gauff responded by elevating her stage, successful an excellent rally within the third sport that drew loud cheers. After an intense alternate of drop pictures, Gauff hit a lob that Sabalenka chased down earlier than trying a shot between her legs — just for Gauff to intercept it on the internet and end with a winner.
Gauff was constant from the baseline and earned a break level which she transformed when Sabalenka double-faulted, giving her a 2-1 lead. Sabalenka turned towards her field and shouted in frustration however then regained her composure, breaking again to stage the match at 3-3.
She was damaged once more at love, nevertheless, and Gauff then held serve twice to claimed the title after a match that lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes.
Gauff now owns two French Open trophies after successful final yr’s girls’s doubles title. (AP) UNG
Revealed – June 08, 2025 12:07 am IST
