Coco Gauff captured her second Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open, mounting a stunning comeback to defeat top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping final.
After dropping the opening set in a tense tiebreak, Gauff turned the match around, winning 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. Sabalenka, who had been dominant throughout the tournament, appeared unsettled by the swirling wind and mounting frustration during the final on the clay of Roland Garros.
Sabalenka did not shy away from expressing her disappointment. She described her performance as “terrible tennis” and went as far as to say that if Iga Swiatek whom she had beaten in the semifinals had made it to the final, the result might have been different.
Although she edged out a grueling first set that lasted 80 minutes, Sabalenka was left frustrated by her own inconsistency, tallying 70 unforced errors. “If Iga would beat me another day, I think she would go out today and she would get the win,” she said, reflecting on what might have been.
Clearly heartbroken by the loss, Sabalenka added, “Yeah, it just hurts. Honestly hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did that hurts.”
Meanwhile, Gauff remained composed during her press conference as the new French Open champion. Responding to Sabalenka’s comments with calm confidence, Gauff said, “I mean, I don’t agree with that.” Then, with a subtle but powerful reminder, she added, “I’m sitting here.”
Pointing to her recent win over Swiatek in Madrid, Gauff continued:
“Last time I played no disrespect to Iga but I beat her in straight sets. So I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say, because anything can happen.”
Gauff acknowledged Sabalenka’s form heading into the final, noting,
“Honestly, the way Aryna was playing the past few weeks, she was the favourite. She was No. 1 in the world, so I think she was the toughest opponent I could’ve faced, going purely off stats.”
She added that while Swiatek has a great track record in Paris, she believed in her chances no matter who she faced: “I think I had a good shot to win regardless, and I definitely had that belief.”
When asked who she would’ve preferred to play in the final, Gauff admitted,
“If I’m being honest, I actually wanted to play Iga, just because Aryna was playing so well. But either way, both are tough. It turned out how it turned out and that’s why I’m sitting here today.”
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