Barack Obama Showers Praise on Coco Gauff After Her Maiden French Open Triumph

Coco Gauff came from a set down to win her sixth match of her career against Aruna Sabalenka to become French Open champion

Barack Obama Showers Praise on Coco Gauff After Her Maiden French Open Triumph

Barack Obama, Coco Gauff (Image via Wikipedia, X/Coco Gauff)

Coco Gauff is now a two-time Grand Slam singles champion. The American, on Saturday (June 7), beat Aryna Sabalenka in an entertaining final with a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 scoreline to win her first title of the season.

She is now the first American in a decade to take home the clay-court Major after the great Serena Williams. The 21-year-old also became the youngest from her country in 23 years to win at Roland Garros after the 23-time Majors singles champion won her first title here in 2002.

Following her win wishes from everywhere poured in. Barack Obama, the former president of the United States, too took to X to congratulate the youngster.

Congratulations to @CocoGauff for an amazing championship at the French Open — the first American singles champion at @RolandGarros in a decade. You make us all proud.

Check out his post here:

Michelle Obama also lavished some praise on Gauff. The tennis ace had previously met the Obamas after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open by beating Sabalenka.

Congrats @CocoGauff! Your determination, strength, and grace throughout the French Open have inspired us all and showed us what’s possible. Proud of you!

Check out her post here:

Three years ago, a teen Gauff ended her French Open campaign as a runner-up, losing easily to four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek. Gauff is now 6-5 in the head-to-head encounter with the Belarusian and also took a 2-1 lead in their matches on clay.

This was their second encounter this season following the Madrid Open final which Sabalenka won, bagging her third clay-court title of her career. Gauff now stands on top with most wins on clay this season (18), winning one match more than Sabalenka. The French Open was also Gauff’s second title on the red dirt after her victory at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open.

She progressed to three back-to-back finals on clay as before Paris, after her defeat in Madrid, she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open final. Had Sabalenka won, she would have become the only active woman to win singles trophies in three of the four Major tournaments.

The three-time Grand Slam singles champion is now 3-3 in Grand Slam finals. She won the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open and later became a US Open champion. She suffered defeat in the 2023 US Open, this year’s Australian Open and French Open.

Coco Gauff recalls her defeat to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final

Coco Gauff was 18 when she played her first Grand Slam final. It was nerves that Gauff suffered from even before her match against Iga Swiatek.

Coco Gauff (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Coco Gauff (via X/The Tennis Letter)

I remembered the ceremony when Iga won; I tried to pay attention to everything and wanted to experience that someday. When the anthem played, I remembered that moment; it was tough, I doubted myself if I could ever achieve it, especially mentally. I cried before the match, I was nervous, and couldn’t even breathe.

Coco Gauff said at the press conference

Swiatek was playing in the tournament as the three-time defending champion. Her run was ended by Aryna Sabalenka with a three-set win in the semifinal. The French Open match against Gauff was the 27-year-old’s seventh final and in her previous summit clashes, Sabalenka won the titles thrice (in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid) and lost the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart Open, and the French Open.

Next, Gauff will be preparing for the grass swing where she will bid to win her first title. At Wimbledon, Gauff has never gone beyond the fourth round. Thrice she reached the last 16 (in 2019, 2021, and 2024).

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