Coco Gauff defeats No. 1 ranked Aryna Sabalenka to claim first French Open Title

Coco Gauff smiling with the Roland Garros Trophy

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No African-American woman had won a French Open title since Serena Williams did in 2015. That changed today when the world’s No. 2 in women’s singles, Coco Gauff, defeated top-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in a triumphant 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 three-set victory in a Grand Slam Final for the ages.

It marked the first match between the top two-ranked players since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013.

“I honestly didn’t think I could do it,” said Gauff after her win. “But I’m going to quote Tyler the Creator, who said, ‘If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying.’ I think I was lying to myself, and I definitely could do it.”

Sabalenka took a 40-0 lead, leading 4-1 and taking the first set off a tiebreaker, despite failing to serve it out twice. Gauff was able to come back and tie it at 4-4 after a long, grueling eighth game. Sabalenka had a chance to serve for the set after breaking 6-5, but Gauff responded with a miraculous backhanded return off a Sabalenka smash. Gauff led the tiebreak 3-0, 5-3, but Sabalenka put together a rally of points to take it 7-5.

 Self-inflicted errors came to haunt Sabalenka, double-faulting as the tide seemed to turn, giving Gauff a breath of life. She took full advantage. Gauff’s unshakeable mental resilience was evident, coming back after dropping the first set.

A second break to love in the second set gave Gauff a 4-1 lead. Sabalenka would break for 2-4, but Gauff responded, breaking again in the next game and serving out to even the match.

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Gauff took a 3-1 lead in the third set after breaking in the third game of the decider, but Sabalenka was able to tie it back at three apiece. But yet again, Gauff showed her mental fortitude like she was a trained assassin, like Uma Thurman from Kill Bill. Displaying no mercy to her opposition, feasting on her opponent's mental lapses. Her precise timing of volley hits, accuracy on baseline shots, and return shots left the crowd in awe during her comeback.

Sabalenka’s unforced errors helped play a part as well. The Belarusian had six double faults, including one for a set point, followed by a missed backhand next. Playing in windy conditions and not meeting her standards took a toll on the star Belarusian, as Gauff refused to relinquish the lead.

"Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me," Sabalenka told a media conference. "I think it was the worst final I ever played."

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As the match reached its climax, Gauff's strength seemed to grow while Sabalenka's resolve began to falter. Gauff's courage in the face of adversity was evident as she broke to love, securing a lead she would not relinquish. The tension was palpable as she held off Sabalenka to clinch victory on her second match point, a moment that will be etched in tennis history.

It’s the second straight Grand Slam final loss for Sabalenka, who also came up short in the Australian Open to Madison Keys. She was in tears after the match as she addressed the crowd and apologized to her team for what she addressed as “terrible tennis.”

Meanwhile, for Gauff, it marks a historic moment in her career. It's her first French Open and second Grand Slam title. She is not only the first African-American and American to win Roland Garros since Serena in 2015 but also the fifth American woman in the Open Era to win multiple Grand Slam titles at 21 or younger—a moment to be proud of, a moment that will be remembered in the history of tennis.

The others are Serena Williams (6), Chris Evert (6), Venus Williams (4), and Tracey Austin (2). Tremendous company. She finally achieved one of her childhood dreams, which she manifested as a kid.

"I also felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that, when I was younger, that I felt I had the best shot of winning. I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff.”

She won’t have to worry anymore.