Roland Garros 2025: Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win second Grand Slam singles title
The sun still rose after Coco Gauff lost the 2022 Roland Garros final to Iga Swiatek. But tomorrow, the sun will not only rise—it will shine brightly on Gauff, now a two-time Grand Slam singles champion after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in Paris on Saturday.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, is the youngest player to win the women’s singles titles in New York and Paris since Serena Williams in 2002, seven years after she became the youngest Roland Garros junior girls’ champion since 1993. She is also the first American to win a singles title at Roland Garros since Williams hoisted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup a decade ago. The world No. 2 is now 2-1 in major singles finals, coming back to beat Sabalenka from a set down both times she’s earned the title.
Both players had only dropped one set en route to Saturday’s final and were tied for the most match wins on clay this season at the WTA level, with 17 apiece. Their head-to-head sat at 5-5, and 1-1 at Grand Slams. At the beginning of the match, it seemed as though Sabalenka would claim her fourth major title—and first on a surface other than hard courts—as she ran out to a 4-1 lead. But Gauff refused to back down, bringing the score back to 4-4. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds continued to lose their serves, forcing a tiebreak after Sabalenka failed to serve out the set at 6-5.
The odds were against the 21-year-old American. In the previous six Roland Garros finals, the winner of the first set lifted the trophy, and whoever has come out on top in the first set won the past seven of Gauff and Sabalenka’s last 10 meetings. But Gauff was in this position nearly two years ago in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and knew that there was a way out.
The American leaned into an offensive style of play, commanding the court as she ran down every ball, getting the first two breaks against Sabalenka for a 4-1 lead, then breaking her opponent at love to serve for the set.
Coco Gauff lifts the 2025 Roland Garros women's singles trophy. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.
Tied at one set each, the pair traded breaks in the third set, but Gauff took control and capitalized on her momentum while Sabalenka let her emotions get the better of her, getting a love service break to lead 4-3. The 2024 US Open champion saved a match point at 5-4 with a perfectly placed backhand to the corner, and then had a break point opportunity, but the 2018 junior champion wasn’t about to let her chance to win on the famed terre battue slip through her fingers, and survived another rally, falling onto her back as Sabalenka’s ball landed in the doubles alley.
“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,” Gauff said in her post-match press conference.
Coco Gauff celebrates after match point in the 2025 Roland Garros final. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.
It also came down to who could handle the shifting winds, adding in new variables to an already-challenging match, especially given the players warmed up with the roof closed. Gauff was the one who adapted better throughout the match, not only to the weather but to her opponent, who is one of the most powerful players on tour.
As the eventual champion changed her strategy, becoming more aggressive while maintaining her signature baseline defense and chasing down every ball, Sabalenka became increasingly frustrated. Gauff ended up as the more consistent player, maintaining a slightly higher first-serve percentage while Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors—59% of the total number of points Gauff won.
“It was really difficult, especially on the far end of the court, it was so hard to hit the ball and get it through the court. Then [on] the other side, if you didn't accelerate, it would fly,” Gauff said.
“I know it's so hard to outhit her, so I was trying my best to put her on defense. But with the wind and stuff, I felt it was also more important to try to get as many balls in the court as possible, just because it was tough to plant your feet. The ball was moving so much. Some shots that I felt really comfortable on a normal day felt awful today.”
In her on-court speech, a tearful Sabalenka congratulated the champion for her ability to bring her "A" game in less than ideal conditions, but lamented her own ability to step up in the moments that mattered most.
“Honestly guys, this will hurt so much. It was really a blur. Such a tough two weeks,” she said. “In these tough conditions you were a better player than me. Well done on a great two weeks, congrats on the second Grand Slam, well deserved. You are a fighter, congrats to you and your team.”
Any Grand Slam win is special, but this one holds some special significance. Gauff has the second-best record at Roland Garros of any active player behind four-time champion Swiatek, and lifted the junior trophy in 2018, the runner-up plate in 2022 and the women’s doubles trophy last year. While her first major title at the US Open was “more emotional,” winning in Paris has always been her dream.
“I also felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that when I was younger that I felt I had the best shot of winning,” she said. “I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets.”
Call her Coco Championne.
Related Articles
-
![Visit the Q&A: Gauff talks RG win page]( "Coco Gauff poses with the French Open trophy with the Eiffel Tower in the background.")
Q&A: Gauff talks RG winJune 12, 2025In the midst of Coco Gauff's whirlwind media tour in New York, the champion sat down with usta.com to tell us how it feels to finally lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup. Read More -
![Visit the Gauff wins Roland Garros page]( "Coco Gauff lifts the 2025 Roland Garros trophy. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.")
Gauff wins Roland GarrosJune 07, 2025In a battle of former US Open champions, Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka on Court Philippe-Chatrier to win the 2025 Roland Garros title. Read More -
![Visit the Gauff reaches French final page]( "Coco Gauff in the 2025 Roland Garros semifinals. Photo by Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images.")
Gauff reaches French finalJune 05, 2025Coco Gauff defeated French wild card Lois Boisson in the Roland Garros semifinals, setting up a final showdown with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Read More
Sign up for our Newsletter
Download the USTA App
