She’s done it again — Coco Gauff staged another dramatic comeback in a Grand Slam final, this time securing her first Roland Garros singles title and second career major on Saturday. In a thrilling showdown between the top two players in the PIF WTA Rankings, the No. 2 seed overcame World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 on the clay of Paris to win the French Open.
Despite narrowly dropping a tightly contested first set filled with momentum shifts, Gauff surged back with determination, closing out the match in 2 hours and 38 minutes to claim the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
A Grand Slam déjà vu: Nearly three years after finishing runner-up at the 2022 Roland Garros, Gauff returns to Paris as champion, adding the French Open crown to her 2023 US Open triumph — where she also rallied from a set down to defeat Sabalenka.
Coming into the match with their rivalry tied, Gauff now leads their head-to-head 6-5 overall, including a 2-1 edge on clay and a 2-1 advantage in Grand Slam encounters.
Here’s a complete rewrite of the “Fast facts” section with a smoother, more engaging tone:
Quick Hits:
- Historic win: Coco Gauff becomes the first American woman in a decade to capture the French Open title, following in the footsteps of Serena Williams, who last won in Paris in 2015. At just 21 years old, Gauff is also the youngest American to win at Roland Garros since Serena’s breakthrough victory in 2002.
- Queen of clay (2025 edition): Gauff leaves Paris as the most successful player on clay this season, racking up 18 main-draw wins on the surface—edging past Sabalenka, who tallied 17. Her consistency on clay included back-to-back WTA 1000 final appearances in Madrid and Rome, where she finished runner-up to Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini, respectively.
- First title of the season — and it’s a big one: While those earlier finals slipped away, Gauff made the biggest one count. The Roland Garros crown marks her first title of 2025 and the second Grand Slam trophy of her career.
- Sabalenka denied history: A win in Paris would have made Aryna Sabalenka the only active WTA player to hold singles titles at three different Grand Slam events. Instead, Gauff’s composed, tactical performance halted her run. Despite hitting seven fewer winners than Sabalenka in the final, Gauff committed a staggering 40 fewer unforced errors — a key factor in sealing the victory.
Staying on Top: Rankings, Rewards, and Resilience
Coco Gauff’s stunning Roland Garros triumph earns her 2,000 ranking points, propelling her from No. 5 to No. 2 in the Race to the WTA Finals in Riyadh. She also retains her career-best No. 2 position in the PIF WTA Rankings. For her championship run in Paris, Gauff takes home a winner’s prize of €2,550,000.
Despite the loss, Aryna Sabalenka remains a dominant force in the game. The Belarusian falls to 3-3 in Grand Slam finals, but she holds a commanding lead at No. 1 in both the PIF WTA Rankings and the Race to Riyadh. Her runner-up finish earns her €1,275,000.
Historic Matchup, Classic Battle
Saturday’s final marked the first Grand Slam women’s title clash between World No. 1 and No. 2 in six years — the last being the 2018 Australian Open, when No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki edged No. 1 Simona Halep. It was also the first Roland Garros final featuring the top two seeds since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova.
Under swirling winds and high stakes, the opening set was a nerve-wracking affair. Sabalenka surged ahead 4-1 and had two chances to close it out at 5-4 and again at 6-5. But Gauff’s grit and speed kept her in the fight, forcing a tiebreak with tireless retrieving and bold shotmaking.
Gauff raced to a 4-1 lead in the breaker with a forehand winner, seemingly on the verge of stealing the set. But Sabalenka adjusted, stepping inside the baseline and charging the net. Two aggressive volleys later, she clinched the set 7-6(5) after 77 minutes.
Momentum Shift and Match Turnaround
The tide turned sharply in the second. Gauff came out with renewed aggression, attacking earlier in rallies and hammering a forehand to secure an early break. After a crisp return winner, she jumped ahead 4-1 as Sabalenka’s error count climbed. Gauff held her nerve and took the set 6-2 to level the match.
The final set began with tension as both players exchanged early breaks. But at 4-3, Gauff raised her level again, producing a dominant love break capped by a backhand crosscourt winner. At 5-4, Sabalenka saved one match point with a pinpoint return into the corner and earned a break point to stay alive. But Gauff weathered the final storm, closing out the match with a composed all-court rally before collapsing to the clay in triumph.
More history, more momentum — and perhaps, more to come.
