American Coco Gauff won the French Open Women's singles championship on Saturday, defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a nail-biting three-set final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The 21-year-old American recovered from a tense 78-minute first set tiebreak to claim 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in a two-hour and 38-minute dogfight. The victory adds a Roland-Garros trophy to her 2023 US Open victory.
By taking the title, Gauff was the first American to win the French Open singles since Serena Williams in 2015—and the youngest American to do so since Serena in 2002.
Sabalenka began strongly, claiming a double break to be 4-1 ahead in the first set. Gauff launched a spirited comeback, fighting back from 40-0 down in the sixth game to tie the set at 4-4. Sabalenka became increasingly frustrated, serving two double faults at 40-0 in the game, and mistakes crept into her game.
Sabalenka broke again to lead 5-4 and created two set points in a long 13-minute service game, but Gauff resisted. Gauff's more consistent play told eventually as she broke back to tie at 5-5. Both women served out to take the set to a tight tiebreak.
During the tiebreaker, Gauff ran to 5-3 ahead, but Sabalenka suddenly came to life at the pivotal stage. The world No. 1 came up with two incredible points to fight back to 5-5 before winning the first set on her third set point with a beautiful volley.
Though she lost the breaker, Gauff revealed excellent mental resilience in the second set. She shrugged off the disappointment of the lost breaker with ease and responded aggressively, breaking Sabalenka on the first game to initiate a dominating 4-1 double break advantage. Although she lost serve temporarily and sent a game point for 5-1 sailing away, Gauff kept the control and dominated the rest of the set, taking the set 6-2 in 32 minutes to tie the match.
The last set was just as closely contested. Gauff broke in the third game to lead 2-1, sealing the game with a flawless sequence—a tweener by Sabalenka and a winning forehand volley by Gauff. Sabalenka fought back with calmness, coming back from 1-3 down to tie 3-3.
But Gauff would not let up. She held her lead and sealed the set 6-4, falling to the ground in tears of elation as she won it all for her first French Open title.
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