Paris: Coco Gauf etched history on Saturday beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-setter in the final of the French Open 2025. With the triumph, Gauf won her first French Open title and her second major overall. It was a contest between World No.1 and World No.2 and both the compatriots showed why they are at the top in the WTA rankings.
Gauf’s winning moment
In the opening set which included both the players holding their serves, it entered the tiebreaker. Sablalenka edged out the American star in the tiebreaker, winning the first set by 7-6 (5). Gauf bounced back in the second set in a strong manner with an immediate break of the serve and won the second set by 6-2. She then went on to win the third set by 6-4.
wow.
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) June 7, 2025
this means so much to me truly….french open champion🥹
i worked so hard for this moment and for it to have happened is insane. thank you God ❤️ and thank you everyone. this means the world…. I ‘m still in shock honestly can’t find the words but all I can say for now is… pic.twitter.com/5rAaTrhk16
The Belarusian tennis player sent a backhand wide on Gauff’s second match point and that defined the winning moment for the American. She fell onto her back, covering her face with both hands and rested her forehead on clay.
How the match panned out
It was a contest full of tension and momentum swings and the windy conditions also affected the gameplay.
The first set started on a bad note for Gauff as she was broken twice and lost the opening set in a tiebreaker. The victory seemed to be slipping away from the American but she was set to carve a comeback.
Gauff showed incredible mental strength to break Sabalenka’s serve in the second set and capitalise on it to orchestrate a 4-1 lead. She wrapped up the set in 32 minutes, winning it by 6-2.
Third and final set
Sabalenka and Gauff were playing some superb rallies in the third and deciding set of the match. In the third game of the third set, the duo exchanged some drop shots in between them and then Gauff played a lob. Sabalenka chased it down to return it with a shot between her legs. The American intercepted it and finished the rally with a winner. The crowd applauded her gameplay.
“Game, set and match, Gauff”
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2025
This absolute nail-biter of a final was our Extraordinary Moment of the day by @HaierOfficial 🚀#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/hZZq7jFRzR
Gauff earned a breakpoint thanks to her consistency from baseline and a double fault by her 27-year-old rival tilted the scoreline in her favour by 2-1. Sabalenka shouted in frustration after that but regained her composure to bounce back with a scoreline of 3-3.
The World No. 2 then again broke the serve of Sabalenka but held her serve twice to claim the French Open title by winning a match that lasted for two hours and 38 minutes.
Notably, she has become the first American to win the French Open title since Serena Williams’ triumph in 2015, and also the youngest since Serena Williams in 2002.
