Call Coco Gauff the queen of clay.
The American phenom, just 21 years old, won the second Grand Slam championship of her career on Saturday, outlasting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 at the French Open final in Paris. She’s the first American to win the French since Serena Williams did so in 2015: no American man has won a singles title on Roland Garros clay since Andre Agassi in 1999.
Gauff’s effort was remarkably resilient. She trailed in the first set 4-1, with Sabalenka on serve and up 40-0. Viewers could be forgiven for looking ahead to the second set. Or wondering if Gauff’s experience at the 2022 French Open final, where she lost to Iga Świątek in straight sets, was haunting her. Gauff said she had anxiety attacks before that match, and was never really in it.
On Saturday, however, Gauff countered by winning twelve straight points. As the 2023 U.S. Open champion, Gauff is now a more experienced competitor than she was three years ago. And an improved player. The windy conditions in Paris seemed to bother Sabalenka’s serve more than it did Gauff’s. They played a grinding first set, featuring a few long games and impressive rallies. Serving for the set at 5-4, Sabalenka couldn’t finish off Gauff, who saved two set points and finally broke Sabalenka on her fifth chance. Later, a Gauff backhand winner, on the run, sent the set into a tiebreaker, where Sabalenka did prevail.
But Sabalenka couldn’t carry the momentum over to the second set. Gauff’s love break put her up 5-2 in the set, and she held serve at love to finish it out. Sabalenka could only shake her head in dismay.
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In the third set, Sabalanka double faulted to give Gauff a break, allowing the American to go up 2-1. Sabalenka charged on Gauff a short ball, but smashed it into the net to give Gauff a 3-1 advantage. Sabalenka fought back to tie the set up at 3-3, but while on serve she double-faulted and shouted at her coaching box. Gauff won the game to go up 4-3.
Both players held the next two games. With Gauff serving for the title at 5-4, she got down to business. Collected all match long while Sabalenka seemed to lose her cool at times, her serve was on point. Sabalenka kept battling, but on Gauff’s second championship point, she sent a cross-court shot wide, ending the match. Gauff’s back fell to the Roland Garros clay.
She went up into the stands to hug her mom Candi, dad Corey—who doesn’t sit in the courtside box during matches, his nerves too frayed—her coach and others.
The match took two hours and 38 minutes. Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors, to Gauff’s 30.
“You’re a fighter,” said Sabalenka to Gauff after the match.
The next major tournament for Gauff is Wimbledon, where she first burst onto the global stage a half dozen years ago, when she beat Venus Williams and reached the fourth round, aged just 15. Then the U.S. Open in New York City, to try to regain that throne.
Sabalenka seemed minutes away from running away from that first set, and perhaps the match; a win would have given her two of the last three Grand Slam titles, and made her the unquestioned dominant player in tennis. Not so fast. Gauff’s just too fast—and right now, the best—on clay. And she’s all set for a monster summer.
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