Coco Gauff Claims First French Open Title with Stunning Comeback

Gauff's Historic Victory at the French Open

Paris, June 7 - Coco Gauff triumphed in Paris, marking a significant milestone by securing her inaugural French Open title after a thrilling comeback against world number one Aryna Sabalenka during the women's singles final held at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday.

In a gripping match that lasted two hours and 38 minutes, Gauff defeated Sabalenka with a score of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, denying her opponent the chance to celebrate a French Open victory.

This victory makes the 21-year-old Gauff the first American to win the prestigious French Open trophy in ten years, following Serena Williams' last win in 2015. Additionally, she is the youngest American to achieve this feat since Serena's remarkable win in 2002.

Having previously won the 2023 US Open at just 19, Gauff faced a challenging opening set but narrowly missed the chance to take an early lead.

However, she stunned Sabalenka with her relentless determination, dominating the next two sets to bring the title back to New York.

"I want to express my gratitude to my parents for keeping me grounded and instilling the belief that I could achieve this. I also want to thank the crowd for their incredible support today. Your cheers meant the world to me, and I’m not sure what I did to deserve such love from the French audience," Gauff stated after her victory, as reported by the Roland Garros official website.

"Honestly, I didn’t think I could win, but I’m going to quote [US rapper] Tyler, The Creator: 'If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying.' I think I was lying to myself, and I definitely could do it, so a shout out to Tyler and to all of you. Thank you, Paris," she added.

In a tense opening set, Sabalenka had two set points at 5-4 but ultimately let the opportunity slip away. The set went to a tie-breaker, where Gauff initially led 4-1.

Nevertheless, Sabalenka fought back to level the score at 5-5 and ultimately clinched the first set with two impressive volleys.

Despite the setback, Gauff responded fiercely in the second set, taking control and racing to a 4-1 lead. Sabalenka's errors plagued her, allowing Gauff to secure a 6-2 win in the second set, leveling the match at one set apiece.

In the final set, both players battled hard for every point, but Gauff took the lead at 4-3 with a stunning backhand cross-court winner.

Although Sabalenka saved a match point at 5-4, Gauff was determined not to be denied and ultimately secured the match-winning point, taking home the title.