Coco Gauff started the 2025 French Open laughing, realizing she had walked onto the court for her first-round match without her rackets. Two weeks later, she’s still smiling. But this time, the American left Roland Garros with more than just her sense of humor. On Saturday, June 7, she walked off the Philippe-Chatrier court with the imposing Suzanne Lenglen trophy, after her victory over Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka in the final (6-7, 6-2, 6-4).
By defeating the world number one, Gauff added a second Grand Slam trophy to her collection, which already included the 2023 US Open. Above all, she continued her trajectory at the same place where she had experienced a painful coming-of-age in 2022, swept aside in the final by Poland’s Iga Swiatek (1-6, 3-6). “I was super nervous. I kinda wrote myself off before the match even happened,” she admitted.
Three years later, she’s no longer quite the same player who walked onto the center court. At 21, Gauff is now a major player on the circuit, the world number two capable of racking up wins and titles on all surfaces. The American has learned to handle pressure – something she has faced ever since she was a teenager, when she was hailed in the United States as the heir to Serena Williams.
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