5 things we learned from the 2025 French Open following two epic finals
Do believe the hype
Carlos Alcaraz (right) and runner-up Jannik Sinner look set for an enduring rivalry (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
The dawn of a new era in men's tennis finally arrived, and in some style. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the sport for two years but, like a pair of heavyweight boxers ducking one another, they had never met in a grand slam final. Roland Garros set the stage and the best players on the planet delivered a stone-cold classic, with Alcaraz saving three championship points before winning the longest final in French Open history, a five-set, five-hour 29-minute epic. It was the first major final between two men born in this century and on this evidence, there will be plenty more. Just one thing. Lose the rugby shirts, guys.
Coco's star shines
Coco Gauff dazzled as the women's champion (Thomas Padilla/AP)
It is hard to believe Gauff is still only 21, having burst on to the scene six years ago at Wimbledon. The charismatic American's victory over Aryna Sabalenka for a second grand slam title showed such maturity, as did her comments afterwards about trying to be a beacon of hope for 'Americans who look like me' amid a period of political turmoil in her homeland. She became the first American idol of Roland Garros since Serena Williams a decade earlier and has time on her side to collect many more titles.
Aryna angry again
Aryna Sabalenka lost a second-straight grand slam final (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Sabalenka remains the best player on the planet – the runaway world number one – and will head to Wimbledon as a big favourite for the title. The Belarusian has made huge strides to exorcise the demons that used to dog her in big matches and has three grand slam titles to show for it. But she has lost the last two major finals, including a surprise defeat to Madison Keys in Australia, and the mental fragility seemed to return against Gauff with 70 unforced errors telling their own story. A reset is required if the 27-year-old is to add a Wimbledon crown to her US and Australian Open titles.
Novak's Aussie farewell?
Novak Djokovic admitted he may have played his last match at Roland Garros after going down in three tight sets to Sinner in the semi-finals. He proved once again he can still mix it with the elite, especially after a superb four-set dismantling of Alexander Zverev in the last eight. But at 38, he knows he is running out of time. Will he hold his retirement party at next January's Australian Open, a tournament he has won 10 times and which he feels is his best chance to land that elusive record 25th grand slam title?
The Brits are all right
Jack Draper reached the fourth round (Jon Buckle/PA)
Jack Draper led the British challenge and, as predicted, got the furthest. Yet he was probably the biggest disappointment. Seeded fifth and drawn to meet Sinner in the quarter-finals, he fell in the fourth round to world number 62 Alexander Bublik. Still, he got his first Roland Garros wins under his belt, as did Jacob Fearnley, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal, while Cameron Norrie enjoyed a much-needed run to the third round following a tough 18 months. Then there was Hannah Klugman, at 16 a first British junior finalist in almost 50 years. It was all a vast improvement on last year's first-round wipe-out.
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BBC News
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- BBC News
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Daily Mirror
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2 hours ago
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Coco Gauff explains the mini-French Open trophy she took home after win
Tennis superstar Coco Gauff took home an 'adorable' reminder of her first French Open title that was able to fit right into her carry-on bag on the plane. Gauff showed off her tiny replica French Open trophy on TODAY on June 9 — a keepsake she earned after knocking off Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match two days earlier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris. 'Most tournaments will have the original that they keep with them, and then they give you home a replica,' Gauff explained to Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie. 'And I didn't know it was going to be as small as it is.' The Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy that tennis fans saw Gauff hoist over her head in triumph after the match is not the one that will be in a place of honor in her home. Champions are awarded a smaller version instead, which Gauff displayed on TODAY. 'This is the replica trophy that we get to take home,' she said. 'It is adorable. It's mini-size, like the little mini-brands, so that's what this is. It looks just like the real one, just smaller.' Gauff also showed the difference between the actual trophy and the replica version in a TikTok video she shared on June 8 while traveling on a plane. She reenacted the same poses she made with the real trophy after her victory, but with the mini-version instead. She giggled as she compared its size to a bottle of Perrier and a cup. 'That's how small it is, but it's the memories that matter the most,' she said in the video. Gauff, 21, rallied from a loss in the first set to beat Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 to become the first American woman to win the French Open singles title since her idol, the legendary Serena Williams, did it in 2015. 'I always wanted to win this title,' she said on TODAY. 'I just felt like this was one that was just really meant to be, and to have it happen still feels so surreal.' It marked Gauff's second Grand Slam title in her career and her first since winning the U.S. Open in 2023. 'The first one, I felt a little bit more shock immediately after the match,' she said. 'This one I just really felt deep down like it was meant to be, that I wanted to do it, and I could do it. So I think this one was more just proud than relief.' Sabalenka initially drew controversy with her post-match remarks to reporters that Gauff only won the match 'not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.' She then issued a statement on her Instagram story on June 8. 'Yesterday was a tough one,' she wrote. 'Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win. She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned.' For her part, Gauff was eager to show that her breakthrough win at the U.S. Open was not a fluke by winning another major tournament. 'I just wanted to prove to people that I can do it again,' she said.
