Mats Wilander Predicts Coco Gauff “Is the Next Serena Williams” After the American Wins Her First Roland Garros

Coco Gauff becomes the first American to win the Roland Garros since tennis legend Serena Williams did it in 2015.

Mats Wilander Predicts Coco Gauff “Is the Next Serena Williams” After the American Wins Her First Roland Garros

Coco Gauff, Serena Williams, and Mats Wilander (via X/The Tennis Letter/Reuters)

Coco Gauff became the first American in a decade to win the Roland Garros, since Serena Williams in 2015. The American star defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to claim her maiden clay-court Grand Slam. After the match, tennis legend Mats Wilander had words of praise for Gauff.

Gauff arrived in Paris after two consecutive WTA 1000 final losses and was the second favorite to win the French Open. However, she pulled through a tough draw to reach her second Roland Garros. In the final, she came from a set down to beat Sabalenka and win the Roland Garros title.

By doing that, she became the youngest American (21-year-old) to win the French Open title since Serena Williams in 2002. However, this is not the first time that Gauff would be linked to Williams’ record in the women’s circuit. Last year, she became the first American to win the WTA Finals since Serena Williams in 2014.

Also, at the French Open, Gauff set a new tournament record by becoming the youngest American player to earn 20 victories in the Open Era. Gauff surpassed the mark held by her idol, Williams, who won 20 matches at Roland Garros when she was just a couple of months shy of her 22nd birthday.

After Gauff’s win over Sabalenka, Mats Wilander stated on TNT Sports that the American star is the next Serena Williams. He added that the floodgates of Grand Slams have been opened to the World No.2 after winning her second in Paris:

She has so much pressure on her shoulders, she is the next Serena Williams, and she is answering all those questions now. She could have won the first set and did not let it affect her at all. It’s harder to win your second Grand Slam than your first one, Now I think the floodgates will open.

Following Gauff’s victory against Sabalenka, the American now leads their head-to-head record 6-5 overall, 2-1 on clay, and 2-1 in Grand Slams. The last time they met in a major tournament final was at the 2023 US Open, where Gauff came from behind to stun the Belarusian star in three sets.

Aryna Sabalenka releases a statement on her comments after losing to Coco Gauff in Roland Garros

After Aryna Sabalenka lost to Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final, she said in her press conference that if Iga Swiatek had defeated her in the semi-finals, the Polish star would have gone on to win the final. She added that the windy conditions in the Court Philippe-Chatrier also hampered her style of play.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/We Are Tennis)

That didn’t go well with fans on social media as she was heavily criticized for her comments. On Sunday (June 8), Sabalenka posted a statement on Instagram story, to clarify the intent of her comments at the Roland Garros final:

Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win. She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned. You all know me… I’m always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can’t pretend it was a great day for me. But both things can be true… I didn’t play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose. She earned that title. Respect.

The World No.1 will now hope to bounce back from the defeat in the grass-court season which begins on Monday (June 9). However, the Wimbledon Championship will be her focus and that commences on June 30.

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