Set point Sabalenka, again...

New York Times

8 hours ago

Follow live reaction to Coco Gauff's French Open victory after the 21-year-old American's thrilling three-set battle with the World No. 1 Getty Images The Athletic
Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in a rollercoaster French Open final.
It is the second Grand Slam singles triumph of Gauff's career and her maiden Roland Garros title, adding to the US Open title she won in 2023, also by beating Sabalenka.
'I was going through a lot of things when I lost here three years ago,' Gauff said after her victory, referencing her straight sets defeat to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 final.
'I'm just glad to be back here. I was going through a lot of dark thoughts. Three finals ... I guess I got the most important win. That's all that matters.'
Sabalenka recovered from a 4-1 deficit in an exciting first set tiebreak only to make a huge number of mistakes in the second and third as Gauff seized control.
'This hurts so much,' the World No. 1 said afterwards. 'Congratulations to Coco, she was a better player than me.' Get involved: [e-mail]
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French Open final: Coco Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka to win second Grand Slam title Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images
Gauff 6-6 (*5-6) Sabalenka
Clever from the top seed.
Sabalenka, grunting with exertion, cracks it into the corner, Gauff scrapes it out, Sabalenka sprints forward and looks for all the world like she will put loads of power on it, but pulls out at the last moment and just plops it delicately out of Gauff's grasp.
Gauff goes 5-3 up as she turns Sabalenka around at the net, predicts which way the around-the-back forehand will come, then volleys it away. Exactly 50 points each in the first 100 of this match!
Then Sabalenka crunches the ball back for 4-5, and we are back on serve in this breaker. A rocket of a backhand down the line beyond Gauff's grasp, five-all.
We can get our teeth into a long rally now, which Sabalenka wins it with an acute volley at the net! Set point... Getty Images
Gauff 6-6 (4-2*) Sabalenka
Sabalenka eventually outlasts Gauff in a rally to get on the board, but Gauff's serve plus one is excellent, as she crouches down and stabs at a middling return.
It flies away for a low, flat backhand winner.
They swap ends.
Who needs this set more?
I would have said Gauff 100 per cent pre-match, but Sabalenka would have a job on her hands not to unravel if she lost it having had so many leads.
Gauff 6-6 (*3-0) Sabalenka
First point Gauff, Sabalenka takes the serve but slashes wildly with the backhand and it's well wide. 2-0 down. Then 3-0 as her accuracy is out the window.
Gauff, the epitome of consistency, just watching her opponent's precision melt away into the Paris air.
She takes the serve now, too. Getty Images
Gauff 6-6 (*0-0) Sabalenka
That's good from Sabalenka, who comes into the net and showcases her doubles technique, deft hands to cutely volley it away for 15-0. 11 points won at the net to Gauff's two, which is a significant difference.
Watch out, Aryna! She groans after an errant backhand, her 15th unforced error on that side to Gauff's miserly four. 15-30. Break point Gauff now as Sabalenka rushes forward but nets.
Gauff long, not enough conviction, but still has a crucial break point at 30-40. Gauff pushes it up high, surely Sabalenka will smash it away, she makes decent contact, Gauff in the corner...
And she sends a ripper of a high passing shot down the line and into the corner! Tiebreak to end this first set... Getty Images
There was a stretch of three or four games in which Sabalenka completely lost confidence in her variety and started trying to beat Gauff in a baseline endurance contest, which is just about the one meta in this matchup that she has no chance of winning.
After that aforementioned break of serve, she's found a bit more confidence on her drop shot and touch.
I said big moments, I wasn't quite expecting that level of psychodrama.
Sabalenka misses two set points on her serve and is broken, but will get another chance to do it now after breaking again for 6-5. Getty Images
Gauff 5-6* Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka too good on the drop shot. Even Coco Gauff can't get there. At 0-15, Sabalenka throws the kitchen sink at a backhand down the line and the umpire rules it is a millimetre out (HawkEye confirms).
It didn't need to be that good! With the wind swirling around Chatrier, you don't have to aim for the chalk. Low toss from Gauff, double fault, 15-30. What a wonderful point from both players!
Several net cords, several tricky slices, and Gauff ends the point with a sort-of jumping shovelled under-hand forehand that just dies and bounces so quickly. Gauff mistake, 30-40, Sabalenka break point.
The world No. 1 exhales heavily to slow her breathing. This could be the opportunity. Again, she forces it. The Hail Mary forehand return down the line marginally out. Deuce.
A really well disguised drop shot again from the surprisingly subtle Sabalenka and Gauff can't make it from deep behind the baseline. Break point No. 2 in this game...
Brilliant point. Great get from Gauff to her right, the American makes Sabalenka keep playing but she slings it perfectly away to break before throwing both her arms up in delight to elicit more noise from the crowd.
Again, Sabalenka to serve for the first set. Getty Images
Gauff *5-5 Sabalenka
Sabalenka is really taking her time, bouncing the ball constantly as she waits for the wind to die down.
The top seed sends four or five shots over the net with flames on them, but Gauff keeps returning and Sabalenka's drop shot is weak and she jumps frustratedly before it hits the net.
Another break point Gauff, on her racket, and she whacks a return long, to which Sabalenka releases the tension by bellowing at the ground.
Sabalenka errs long, and Gauff — after overdoing the last return — is over-tentative and Sabalenka treats it with the disdain it deserves. Deuce and nearly nine minutes in this 10th game of the first set.
Incredible defence from Gauff, right to left and finally the shot is central, straight at Sabalenka at the net. But she rushes the volley, through the shot too early, and finds the net! Big serve, then serve plus one is a booming backhand.
From another deuce, Sabalenka with a vanishingly rare mishit, off the edge of the racket I think, and it's Gauff's fifth break point more than 12 minutes into the match.
Gauff, the human backboard, just keeps returning and Sabalenka goes long! Clenched fist and we are back on serve at five games apiece! Getty Images
Gauff *4-5 Sabalenka
Sabalenka at 15-0 up is hitting her groundstrokes so cleanly, but she tries to be too cute with a drop shot and gives Gauff a point back without making the American even hit it.
She shrugs her shoulders up and throws her head back in evident frustration. Gauff goes long, 30-15, and Sabalenka with a primal roar. Sabalenka waits for the wind to die down before serving, but double faults anyway!
Tension in the shoulders, maybe. Big serve next up, though, and it's 40-30 and set point. She double-faults again, and Gauff's return accidentally hits her back, to rub salt in the wound.
Gauff makes another unforced error on a second serve, trying to hit diagonally past the net post, and is in the tramlines. Just hit it middle of the court and wait for the mistake! Advantage Sabalenka, another set point.
But Gauff survives, and the Belarusian nets. As the clock ticks past five-and-a-half minutes for the game, Sabalenka overshoots a backhand down the line and Gauff signals it's out! The umpire agrees.
Break point, and Gauff makes Sabalenka play an awkward high backhand. She tries the Hollywood backhand down the line, wide! 15 forced errors to Sabalenka's five. Deuce again! Getty Images
Sabalenka has the champion's knack for fighting her way through patchy sets like these, which are actually pretty regular for her.
Big moments coming up to see whether she can close this out...
Gauff had climbed back in by making points stretch. and making Sabalenka hit more high-octane shots. Eventually one went out.
But you need to hold your games. Getty Images
Gauff 4-5* Sabalenka
Now Coco Gauff is in the groove! Sabalenka is used to dictating points but she's being manipulated ruthlessly around the court, side to side, before a forehand winner.
Sabalenka, though, takes James Hansen 's advice by watching a high ball drop out of the sky, letting it bounce rather than immediately smashing it, and taking us to 15-all. Then an ace, and an apology from Gauff, who re-tosses her ball after a gust of wind.
Sabalenka this time does judge a Gauff ball correctly and watches it out. 30-all. Bit tentative from Gauff, she goes narrowly long, and Sabalenka likes that, nodding with satisfaction after earning break point.
That's a poor end to the game from Gauff. Five breaks out of nine so far in this match. More breaks than service holds! Getty Images
Gauff *4-4 Sabalenka
Ah, Coco. Another unforced error from Gauff off the serve, forehand netted disappointingly. Sabalenka waits to serve, ticked off by noise in the crowd, drawing a word from the umpire.
Gauff makes Sabalenka play one more shot from advantage and it's long, deuce again! Director Spike Lee shouts his congratulations to his compatriot.
Sabalenka in total control of the point, Gauff slides desperately into an attempted lob and Sabalenka should just whack it away at the net. Instead, she thinks it's going out, lets it float over her, and it lands three feet in!
How costly could that be? Pretty costly, as it turns out. Sabalenka slides narrowly long, the umpire confirms it's out. Three games in a row for Gauff, including two breaks. 4-4!
When Iga Świątek came alive against her in their semifinal, Aryna Sabalenka had something of an insurance policy with the roof being on.
When your play and feel for the ball is going away from you on the tennis court, any kind of variable out of your control — a gust of wind, some blown-up clay, the sun and the clouds — can feel like an irritant rather than something you have literally no power over.
To be clear, I don't think she's being affected by the wind.
Environment just adds another layer of complication when things are getting, well, complicated. Getty Images
Gauff *3-4 Sabalenka
Sabalenka goes long, 10 points in a row, and another unforced error, 11 on the bounce! Gauff has definitely stepped it up, but how has she lost that feel so quickly?
Tennis is such a mental game at times like these. Sabalenka needs to slow things down, take her time, trust her processes. Oosh, wide and into the tramlines, 12 points in a row. She chews her lip unhappily.
Three break points! One saved as Gauff isn't accurate enough. Two saved as Sabalenka whips a brutal forehand into space. And three saved, Sabalenka has dug herself out!
Gauff goes down on her haunches to hit a flat backhand and Sabalenka just unleashes another winner. Deuce. Catharsis, thy name is Aryna.
This game is still alive, though. Gauff goes for it, error, then nets a backhand return, back to deuce. Getty Images
Nine straight points for Gauff, to go from 4-1, 40-0 down to 4-3.
Spike Lee is loving it!
Sabalenka rapidly going off the boil here.
Up until this game, Gauff had committed more errors despite taking far less risk on her groundstrokes than Sabalenka is doing with her first-strike attack. Getty Images
Gauff 3-4* Sabalenka
Sabalenka maybe a touch over-aggressive, 15-0 down, five straight points lost and now Sabalenka is the one chuntering away unhappily and glancing uncertainly to her box.
Oh, that's top. Long rally, covering the whole court, Gauff comes into the net and curls a looping parabola back over a helpless Sabalenka's head.
Gauff goes 40-0 up, then holds to love. Not long ago, Sabalenka looked irresistible, borderline unplayable. Not so now.