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'I wrote I will be French Open champion': Coco Gauff opens up on her mindset before Roland Garros win
Coco Gauff has won the 2025 French Open after beating Aryna Sabalenka. This is her second Grand Slam title, following her 2023 US Open win. After the victory, Gauff shared how Gabby Thomas inspired her to write down that she would become the French Open champion. She also recalled a dream from 2021 in which she saw herself winning Roland Garros. Take a look at her journey - from beating Venus Williams at age 15 to finally triumphing in Paris. read more
Coco Gauff on Saturday created history as she won the 2025 French Open. The 21-year-old American won her second Grand Slam title after beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in the final in Paris.
After the win, Gauff revealed that she had already started convincing herself that she could win the French Open. She said that she was inspired by American athlete Gabby Thomas, who wrote in her phone that she would be the Olympic champion and eventually went on to win gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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'I wrote, 'I will be French Open champion 2025' like a bunch of times. She (Thomas) wrote 'I will be the Olympic champion' and she ended up winning the gold. I think it's a great mindset that she had,' Gauff said.
On Instagram, Gauff shared a note she had written to herself four years ago on 8 June 2021. 'I had a dream last night that I would win the French Open. I don't know if it is true or if it is this year's French Open, but I had a dream about it," the note read. Gauff shared the screenshot after winning the title last night.
From beating Venus Williams at 15 to winning her first French Open title
This win is Gauff's second Grand Slam title after winning the 2023 US Open. Gauff started playing tennis at the age of six and became a global name when she beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old.
Both her parents were athletes. Gauff's father played basketball in college and her mother did track and field. Gauff wasn't serious about tennis earlier but things changed after she won a tournament when she was eight years old.
Gauff's family moved from Atlanta to Florida to help her achieve her tennis dream. Her dad became her coach and her mother homeschooled her. She went on to train at the Mouratoglou Academy in France, where Serena Williams also trained.
Gauff made history when she became the world No. 1 at the junior level. Then she shocked the world by beating seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019.
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Gauff's first major title came in 2023 when she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final to become the first American teenager to win the competition since the legendary Serena Williams.
With her win at the 2025 French Open, Gauff has once again staked her claim to become one of the best, if not the best, in women's tennis right now.
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