Coco Gauff admits French Open win ‘wasn't pretty' after beating Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff admitted her first French Open title win 'wasn't pretty' after she battled Aryna Sabalenka and the elements to reign on the Paris clay.
The 21-year-old American, seeded second, came from a set down to beat world number one Sabalenka 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-4.
Advertisement
A stiff breeze swirled around Court Philippe-Chatrier and contributed to a combined total of 100 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve.
It was Gauff who coped better with the conditions to add the Roland Garros title to her 2023 US Open crown.
Gauff coped better with the windy conditions (Jon Buckle/PA)
'it was super tough when I walked on the court and felt the wind because we warmed up with the roof closed,' she said.
'I was, like, 'this is going to be a tough day', and I knew it was just going to be about willpower and mental.
Advertisement
'It really came down to the last few points, but overall I'm just really happy with the fight that I managed today.
'It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done, and that's all that matters.'
NEW QUEEN OF PARIS 👑
#RolandGarros
pic.twitter.com/eiesv9t1Aw
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros)
June 7, 2025
It was the first time the top two women's seeds had contested a Roland Garros final since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013.
Sabalenka edged a tie-break to win the opening set, which at 77 minutes lasted nine minutes longer than the entire match the last time Gauff was in the Roland Garros final, a chastening 6-1 6-3 defeat by Iga Swiatek three years ago.
Advertisement
But at the start of the second Gauff inflicted a fifth successive break of the Sabalenka serve and finished it with an overhead
Gauff was the more composed player by now and edged a break ahead in the decider, while Sabalenka moodily eyeballed her coaching team in the players' box.
Sabalenka won the first set but could not halt the comeback (Jon Buckle/PA)
Sabalenka drew level at 3-3 but promptly double-faulted to give Gauff three break points, and she dispatched the first with another precise swish of her backhand.
At 5-3 the 27-year-old Belarusian bravely held to make Gauff serve the match out.
Advertisement
In keeping with the previous two hours and 38 minutes, a match point came and went, as did a break point.
But when the second chance arrived and Sabalenka swung wide, an elated, tearful Gauff fell to the clay as she celebrated a stunning win.
Sabalenka, a vivacious presence throughout the fortnight both in person and via her social media output, was an uncharacteristically ungracious loser.
'I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,' she said.
Advertisement
'Somehow, magically the ball lands in the court, and you're kind of on the back foot.
'It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, 'let's see if you can handle this'.
'I was just making unforced errors. I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes, kind of like from easy balls.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Simpson survives two knockdowns to stop Zucco
Super-middleweight Callum Simpson picked himself up off the canvas twice before securing a stunning stoppage victory over Ivan Zucco in his home town of 28, made history as he maintained his unbeaten record (18-0) to become the town's first European champion when he stopped Italy's Zucco in the 10th round at Barnsley FC's Oakwell Stadium. The Englishman dedicated the win to his sister, Lily-Rae Simpson, who died aged 19 in a car accident in Greece last year."Not once did I give up, in those last few rounds I'll be honest I started thinking about my little sister Lily," Simpson said."I'll be honest, I just thought I had to push for her and for everybody. This time last year, Lily was sat up here cheering me on and she was there with me tonight when it got tough, when it got hard."From round eight, I thought, 'I've got to dig deep, I've got to keep pushing, I've got to do it for her'. She was with me tonight."With the win, Simpson puts himself in prime contention for a step up to world level by the end of the the raucous Oakwell crowd feared the worse with only eight seconds on the clock in in the opening round when Zucco downed Simpson with a hard left shook off the early knockdown and buzzed Zucco with some fine punching of his own, but the home favourite was caught too square in the third round, dropped for the second time by a left on by 23,000 inside the football ground, Simpson was not to be deterred and he continued to advance - taking a number of risks along the sensed an opening in the 10th round as he stalked Zucco before launching a stunning left uppercut on the chin of his opponent - who then sank to his knees before beating the was subjected to another punishing uppercut and slumped to his knees but he bravely rose on the count of eight, until a third knockdown meant the Italian's corner pulled their man out of the fight.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Coco Gauff hits back at Aryna Sabalenka's sour claim that Iga Swiatek would have beaten her in the French Open final
Coco Gauff has hit back at Aryna Sabalenka 's contention that Iga Swiatek would have beaten her in the French Open final. The 21-year-old American sensation conquered Roland-Garros for the very first time after coming from behind to defeat the top-ranked Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. This marked the second Grand Slam of Gauff's career, having also claimed the 2023 US Open title. The world No 2 became the first American to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. To tee up Saturday's showdown, Gauff beat Lois Boisson in the semi-final, while Sabalenka edged past world No 5 Swiatek. And in an ungracious press-conference after the final, Sabalenka argued that Swiatek would have beaten Gauff had she progressed past the semi-final. Sabalenka said: 'That hurts. Especially when I've been playing really great tennis during the whole week. A lot of tough opponents, Iga. 'I think if Iga would have beaten me, she would go out today and she would get the win.' Gauff parried the distasteful claim away and cited her victory in straight sets against Swiatek at the Madrid Open earlier this year, which was also on clay. Gauff rebutted: 'I mean, I don't agree with that. I'm here sitting here (with the trophy). Last time I played - no shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets (in Madrid). 'I don't think that's a fair thing to say, because anything can happen. The way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favourite to win the title. If you asked me, honestly, who I wanted to play, it was Iga just because I felt Aryna was playing so good, and she was. 'But regardless of who I played, I think I had a good shot to win. I definitely had that belief.' Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in blustery conditions, and said: 'It felt like a joke. Like somebody from above was laughing: let's see if you can handle this 'After two weeks of incredible tennis, in the final in terrible conditions to play such terrible tennis really hurts. 'It felt like she (Gauff) was hitting the ball off the frame and somehow magically it lands in the court. I don't think she won the match because she played incredible, just because I made all those mistakes.' The world No 1 went on to blame the conditions, namely the wind, and admitted her emotions got the better of her. 'They were terrible. The wind was terrible. Coco simply handled it better,' Sabalenka added. 'Also, I was overemotional. I think I didn't have a good mental grip on myself today. That was basically it,' said the world number 1. In detail: 'Whenever she hit the ball, the wind would eventually make it fly like crazy, and I was always too late. It just felt like a joke, like someone from above was just laughing and saying, 'Let's see if you can do this.' And today I couldn't.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Thomas Tuchel blasts England fans claiming vile chants about Keir Starmer are ‘not acceptable'
ENGLAND boss Thomas Tuchel told Three Lions fans vile chants about PM Sir Keir Starmer were 'not acceptable'. Some of the 7,000 travelling supporters at yesterday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra called Sir Keir a 'c***' and 'w***er'. 2 Tuchel praised the overall support in the 1-0 win against the tiny state, even though they booed his team at half-time. He said after full-time in Spain: 'Booing is OK. "The support was amazing. Incredible. 'They created a fantastic atmosphere. "They were underwhelmed with the way we performed. "It's not that we can blame them for that. "I didn't hear any abusive songs or chants. "But if it happened, of course, it's not acceptable.' It's thought that Declan Rice is being rested with a view to starting against Senegal on Tuesday evening instead. Other unusual choices appear to include Reece James starting at left-back and Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones being deployed as a make-shift right-back. 'They looked bored' - Roy Keane slams England's 'poor attitude' as Thomas Tuchel admits 'I didn't like' Andorra effort 2
