Ballerific Women: Coco Gauff Makes History with First French Open Victory [Video]

Coco Gauff added another major trophy to her growing legacy, winning her first French Open title by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in an electrifying final on Saturday. The 21-year-old American now holds two Grand Slam titles, having also beaten Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final.

Video

This historic showdown marked the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 women’s final at Roland Garros in over a decade. Much like her breakthrough in New York, Gauff dropped the opening set but stormed back with poise and precision. After losing the tiebreak, she dialed in from the baseline, capitalizing on Sabalenka’s errors to take control of the match.

The final set brought fireworks. After Sabalenka opened strong, Gauff elevated her game, most notably during a jaw-dropping rally where she chased down a tweener attempt from Sabalenka to finish with a surgical volley at the net. That point energized the crowd and flipped momentum in Gauff’s favor.

A critical double fault from Sabalenka gave Gauff the lead, but the Belarusian fought back to level things at 3-3. Still, Gauff’s consistency and mental toughness proved unstoppable.

Falling to the clay in disbelief, Gauff celebrated with her team and director Spike Lee before lifting the trophy that had eluded her three years earlier. With this win, she’s officially entered tennis royalty.