Coco Gauff admits French Open win ‘wasn't pretty' after beating Aryna Sabalenka
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.
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.
'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.'
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.
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.
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.
'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
Daily Mail
an hour 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.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Fabio Wardley stuns fans with come from behind KO on wet and wild Ipswich return
Fabio Wardley shocked the world with a come from behind knockout to defeat Justis Huni on a rainy night at Portman Road. The British sensation was due to face Jarrell Miller, but the American was forced to pull out due to injury. In the sport of boxing, the show must go on - with Wardley eager to put on a performance in front of his beloved Ipswich faithful. While there was not much to cheer about at Portman Road this year, Wardley lit up the town of Ipswich after putting on a career defining performance. The 30-year-old has called for the winner of Daniel Dubois' rematch with Oleksandr Usyk and it is fair to say that he has put the division on notice as he edges closer to a world title shot. Huni - on paper - looked set to be the toughest test of Wardley's career. After establishing himself as a top prospect in his native Australia, tonight's contest marked his first fight on the UK shores. However, when the lights were at its brightest, the Ipswich pugilist and former recruitment worker shone in a big way. As he marched to the centre of the ring, Wardley was greeted and roared on by his home faithful. The 30-year-old looked locked in from the very first bell. In the opening exchanges, the Brit was clearly looking for the right hand early in a bid to unsettle the man from Down Under. But back came the Aussie - who landed big left to the body followed by a huge right hand. In a close opening three minutes, a sharp right hand from Wardley may have given the Ipswich native the round. Lovely left hook from the young Aussie got proceedings underway in the second. Despite all the boos, it was evident Huni was unfazed by all the negative noise. The 26-year-old's speed was on full force in the second, but on the pressure, Wardley fired back with a few sharp shots downstairs. In close quarters, Wardley's power shots over the top seemed to land. But Huni showed that brave, warrior, spirit to remain calm and continue on the front foot. The Aussie silenced the Portman Road crowd early in the third after finding a home with the right hand, but the Brit showed real adversity, boxing sharply on the ropes before his hungry rival fired back with a big combination. Towards the back end, the Ipswich native had the 26-year-old under the cosh after a few right hands landed clean. Huni came to silence the crowd, and it was his speed and sharpness that did just that in the early rounds. The heavyweight brawlers traded leather in close proximity in the fourth. Wardley had his success, but the Aussie's will to press forward caught the hometown favourite off-guard. Despite absorbing a huge right hand over the top, Huni took it clean on and fired back with his own combination. Light on his feet, it was clear Huni was enjoying himself in the squared-circle. The Aussie was evidently licking his lips after seeing his British rival breathing heavily in the centre of the ring. Deep in the fifth, Wardley detonated a sharp left hook, but was clearly struggling with the pace. Huni began to run away with it in the sixth. The speed, the jab, the footwork was on full display. The surging star snapped Wardley's head back with a stinging jab before landing two right hands on the button along with another right hand over the top. Wardley was looking out of ideas and was in desperate need of support from his home fans. A double right hand forced Wardley back in the seventh as Huni continued to stalk his prey. Once again, the right hand was on full force from the Aussie - who was eager to draw quite the attention from the big boys in boxing's heaviest division. In the co-main event Pierce O'Leary defeated Liam Dillon to claim the European super-lightweight champion. From start to finish, the Irishman was dominant and rarely looked in any real danger of being stopped. Elsewhere on the main card, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Lewis Richardson scored an impressive victory on his professional debut, while Mike Perez beat Steven Ward thanks to a vicious stoppage in the ninth round. MORE TO FOLLOW...
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Sinner-Alcaraz final 'doesn't get any bigger'
French Open 2025 - men's singles finalDate: Sunday, 8 June Time: 14:00 BST Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentary across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app The latest chapter in the burgeoning rivalry between the two brightest talents in men's tennis will play out on one of the sport's grandest stages for the first time in Sunday's French Open number one Jannik Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz meet in a tantalising Paris showpiece, having already captured seven major titles between first Grand Slam final to feature two players born in 2000s heralds the beginning of a new era in the men's game - but only one can leave Paris with their perfect record in major finals intact. "It doesn't get any bigger now. It's a special moment for me and for Carlos," said Italy's Sinner."The tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different in a way, because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented." 'The rivalry the sport needs' This will be the first French Open men's final between two players aged 23 or under in more than three 22-year-old Alcaraz has already amassed four Grand Slams - including beating Alexander Zverev in five sets to win last year's Roland Garros three Grand Slam triumphs for Sinner, 23, have come on hard courts - and he is seeking to become only the sixth man in the Open era to win three consecutive is the first time Alcaraz and Sinner have faced off in a major final - but it is unlikely to be the last. Whatever the outcome on Sunday, Alcaraz and Sinner will have carved up the past six majors between them as they assert themselves in the post 'Big Three' after his semi-final loss to Sinner, the 38-year-old Novak Djokovic said of the pair: "They're definitely great for tennis, both of them. "I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt."The way they are playing and approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next years."I'm sure that we're going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often." 'It's fun and not fun' - Sinner's kryptonite Following his US Open and Australian Open triumphs, Sinner goes into the French Open final on a 20-match winning streak at the youngest man to reach three consecutive Grand Slam singles finals since Pete Sampras in 1994, his unshakeable consistency combined with devastating precision means he is yet to drop a set in Paris this Alcaraz has proved to be Sinner's kryptonite of late. Since the start of his title-winning run at the China Open in September 2023, Sinner - who served a three-month doping suspension between February and May - has lost just nine of the 120 matches he has four of those defeats have come in his past four meetings with Alcaraz, including in straight sets in the Italian Open final on clay last if he enjoys the challenge of facing Alcaraz, whom he trails 7-4 in the overall head-to-head, Sinner joked: "It's fun and not fun."I think we try to push ourselves in the best possible way. "I believe when there is a good match, it's also good to play [it]. It's very special." Alcaraz prepared for 'beautiful suffering' Following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal as the second Spaniard to reach five major men's singles finals, Alcaraz could emulate his childhood hero by winning his fifth major at the exact same age: 22 years, one month and three two-time Wimbledon champion has taken just 82 matches to reach 70 wins at slams - quicker than all but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who took improved his record on clay this season to 21 wins in 22 matches - including title wins in Monte Carlo and Rome - after Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury when trailing in their semi-final."Most of the time it is just about suffering," Alcaraz said when asked what it would take to beat either Sinner or Djokovic after winning Friday's first semi-final."But my favourite thing is that it gives me the feedback of how I can be a better player."I think that's important, and that's beautiful. Even if I win or not, it gives you a lot of stats and feedback."On Sinner, he added: "He's the best tennis player right now. I mean, he's destroying every opponent."
