CNN
By Jamie Barton, CNN
(CNN) — Coco Gauff claimed her second career grand slam singles title on Saturday, coming from behind to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling French Open women’s final.
The 21-year-old’s win, a repeat of her 2023 US Open victory, means she is the first American since Serena Williams in 2015 to triumph at Roland Garros, and only the third this century.
She is the also the youngest American to lift the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup since Serena Williams did so in 2002.
“I was going through a lot of things when I lost this final three years ago … so it means a lot to be here,” Gauff said afterward, becoming emotional in her post-match interview as she remembered her comprehensive loss to Iga Świątek in 2022.
It looked in the early stages as if Gauff would be thwarted again, as if Sabalenka would have too much for her opponent after a combination of supreme power and some well-placed drop shots ensured she took an early lead.
But, having broken Gauff twice and finding herself 4-1 and 40-0 up, Sabalenka suddenly began struggling with her serve in the windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Five consecutive points for Gauff, two of which came from Sabalenka’s double faults, meant the American was back in the contest.
Now, it was Sabalenka’s turn to look frustrated, the Belarusian’s serve was broken again in an eight-minute eighth game to tie the set at 4-4. It was the first of a remarkable five-game stretch which saw neither player able to hold their serve, including a marathon 12-minute 10th game in which Gauff survived two set points.
The resulting tiebreak, however, provided the stage for Sabalenka to display impressive tenacity, fighting back from 3-0 to win a genuinely thrilling set that neither player deserved to lose.
It would have been easy for the American to let her head drop having given so much in the 77-minute first set, but Sabalenka had made 32 unforced to errors to Gauff’s 16 – an indication that the Belarusian was not at her blistering best.
That fact was made clearer in the second set when Gauff turned the tide once again and broke Sabalenka twice to race into a 4-1 lead. The 27-year-old broke back to make it 4-2, but Gauff immediately replied with a break of her own in a game which saw Sabalenka make her 50th unforced error.
One game later, Gauff had rounded out a set which lasted almost 45 minutes shorter than the first.
The American had the momentum and she was not about to relinquish it this time. Sabalenka let out a yell of satisfaction as she held her serve in the first game of the third set, but she could not repeat the feat at the second time of asking, double faulting to hand Gauff a 2-1 lead.
The 21-year-old had the chance to extend her lead to 4-1, but could not capitalize on two break points. It looked initially as though it would prove costly, with Sabalenka breaking back to level the scoring.
But this topsy-turvy game still had time for one more twist – Gauff replying with her own break to re-establish a lead that, finally, would not be overturned.
In the final game, the American survived a break point and, after Sabalenka’s backhand return dropped wide, secured her second grand slam title. Overcome in the moment of victory, she dropped to the floor before getting up, with the Roland Garros clay emblazoned on her forehead, and heading over to hug her mother.
“I want to thank my team. You guys have been a joy to be around … you are always pushing me. I know sometimes I’m not the easiest and I can be so serious but you remind me there’s more to life than tennis and I think that’s what makes me play better on court,” she said afterward.
“I would like to thank my parents – from washing my clothes to keeping me grounded … you guys probably believe in me more than I believe in myself. To my brothers at home, you guys are the reason I do this and inspire me more than anything,” Gauff added.
“I didn’t think I could do it but I’m going to quote Tyler, The Creator who said ‘If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying’. I’ll leave you with that.”
On the other hand, despite becoming the first player since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach three consecutive Grand Slam finals, Sabalenka has now lost the last two to American opponents, having been upset by Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January.
The Belarusian was clearly distraught at the result and could not hold back the tears during her on-court interview.
“Obviously, guys, this one hurts so much,” the world No. 1 said after a long pause with the microphone in her hand. “Especially after such a tough two weeks playing great tennis and in these terrible conditions. (To) show such terrible tennis in the final, that really hurts.”
“Coco, congrats,” she added. “In these tough conditions, you were a better player than me. Well done on a great two weeks, and congrats on a second grand slam.”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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