How Did Coco Gauff Fight Back to Stun Sabalenka and Win Her First French Open Title?

Paris, June 7 (NationPress) Coco Gauff from the United States has clinched her first French Open Women's singles title, triumphing over World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in a riveting three-set final held in Paris on Saturday. The 21-year-old athlete rebounded fiercely after a gripping 78-minute first set, ultimately defeating the top seed with scores of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, in a match that lasted two hours and 38 minutes at Court Philippe-Chatrier. This victory adds a prestigious Roland-Garros title to her previous US Open win from 2023.

Just days prior, Gauff reflected on her doubts before entering the 2022 final against a formidable Iga Swiatek, which marked her first appearance on a Grand Slam stage.

Despite faltering with a 3-1 lead in the final set, she maintained her composure under pressure, navigating the challenging, windy conditions more effectively than her opponent, who had previously defeated her in the Madrid final last month. After narrowly losing a thrilling first set, Gauff recovered brilliantly to secure victory and lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

Three years after finishing as a runner-up at the 2022 Roland Garros, Gauff now boasts the French Open title alongside her 2023 US Open championship. She previously overcame Sabalenka from a set down to win in New York City. Their head-to-head was evenly matched before Saturday's showdown, but Gauff now leads 6-5 overall against Sabalenka, with a 2-1 record on clay and in Grand Slams.

At just 21 years old, Gauff is the first American to win in Paris in a decade, following Serena Williams, who claimed her third French Open title in 2015. Gauff is also the youngest American to secure the Roland Garros title since Williams' first victory in 2002.

Gauff departs Paris as the top clay-court winner of the season, with 18 main-draw victories at WTA events, narrowly ahead of Sabalenka's 17. Leading up to the French Open, she reached consecutive WTA 1000 finals in Madrid and Rome, but was defeated by Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini, respectively. Although Sabalenka was on the verge of becoming the only active woman to win singles titles at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, she was outmaneuvered by Gauff. Notably, Gauff had seven fewer winners than Sabalenka in the final but displayed remarkable resilience with 40 fewer unforced errors.

The match began with Sabalenka seizing a commanding 4-1 lead in the first set. However, Gauff mounted a comeback, leveling the score to 4-4 after initially trailing. Sabalenka, who was the world No.1, experienced a series of double faults during critical moments, allowing Gauff to break back and take the set to a tiebreaker. Despite her frustrations, Sabalenka showcased her mental fortitude, narrowly winning the tiebreak 7-5.

Gauff's second set performance was a testament to her mental strength as she quickly shifted focus from the disappointing tiebreak defeat, dominating the second set with a 6-2 finish, leveling the match.

The decisive set was fiercely contested, with Gauff breaking in the third game for a 2-1 lead. Although Sabalenka fought back to tie the score at 3-3, Gauff ultimately clinched the set 6-4, marking her first French Open title and leaving her in tears of joy on the court.