Coco Gauff Smashes 23-Year-Old American Record with Iconic French Open Comeback Win over Aryna Sabalenka

Coco Gauff came from a set down to beat World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to clinch her career's first French Open title.

Coco Gauff Smashes 23-Year-Old American Record with Iconic French Open Comeback Win over Aryna Sabalenka

Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/The Athletic, The Tennis Letter)

In a fierce French Open final between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff on Court Philippe-Chatrier held on Saturday (June 7), a World No.1 and a World No.2 locked horns for the first time in more than a decade. The thrilling match, which lasted for two hours and 38 minutes, saw Gauff win with a scoreline of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.

Gauff won the first game but Sabalenka clinched two consecutive games before squandering a 40-0 lead, but she took advantage of the American’s unforced errors to take the game to 4-1. The 21-year-old then went on to win three consecutive games to tie the score to 4-4 and Sabalenka, after winning the next, served for the opening set.

It took Gauff more than 10 minutes in the 10th game to break Sabalenka for the third consecutive time, leveling the scores 5-5. After much toil, Sabalenka won the next but Gauff was successful in forcing the tie-breaker, following which, she raced to a 3-0 lead.

Sabalenka next broke her serve to win her first point and later equaled the score to 5-5, winning the first set in an hour and 17 minutes. The next set too was a tight affair from the beginning, with Gauff going 2-0 up after intense rallies.

Gauff took a 4-1 lead and after a few more intense rallies. Then the 27-year-old, with a drop shot, broke her serve. Due to Sabalenka’s unforced errors, Gauff broke her to serve for the second set, winning it in 32 minutes to tie the score and force the decider.

Sabalenka started the third set in a strong fashion, hitting ferociously, and roared after winning the first game. But Gauff evened the score because of Sabalenka’s unforced errors. The third game saw Sabalenka unleashing a tweener but Gauff was successful in returning it with a winner.

In longer rallies, drop shot was the key to taking each other by surprise and winning points. After much toil, Sabalenka tied the score to 3-3. Gauff couldn’t break Sabalenla’s serve in the 10th game.

Next, she served for the match. After a few more entertaining rallies, Gauff threw away her racket and was on the ground, shouting, “Oh my God, oh my God” for she became the Roland Garros champion for the first time! Gauff has now become the youngest American woman in 23 years to clinch the clay-court Major.

Coco Gauff improves her head-to-head record over Aryna Sabalenka.

Coco Gauff took a 6-5 lead in the head-to-head encounter against Aryna Sabalenka. The French Open clash was their second meeting this season, following the Madrid Open final which the three-time Grand Slam singles champion won in straight sets.

Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka (2)
Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Jimmie48 Photography)

This was also their third clash on clay, following Madrid and the 2021 Italian Open third round. Gauff is now 2-1 on the red dirt against Sabalenka.

It was also the third time they met in a Grand Slam tournament. Before the French Open, Gauff came from a set down to prevail over the reigning Australian Open champion in the 2023 US Open final to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time (it’s Sabalenka again she beat to lift her second Major singles title).

Sabalenka took her revenge by knocking her out in the 2024 Australian Open seminal before reaching the championship match to beat Qinwen Zheng to win her second Major title. Gauff had previously reached the French Open final in 2022 but lost the title to five-time Major champion Iga Swiatek.

Before this final, Sabalenka dropped a set for the first time in the tournament- against Swiatek in the last four, ending her 26-match win streak. Gauff, on the other hand, ended the fairytale run of Frenchwoman Lois Boisson, who made her Grand Slam main draw debut. Gauff also became the youngest woman to reach the finals of Madrid, Rome, and Paris.

Also read: Andy Roddick Says Aryna Sabalenka Doesn’t Get the Credit She Deserves for the Improvements in Her Game