Coco Gauff says French Open final win over Aryna Sabalenka ‘wasn’t pretty’
American world No 2 overcomes world No 1 and difficult conditions to win second grand slam, making up for defeat in 2022 final
Coco Gauff said her first French Open title win “wasn’t pretty” after she battled Aryna Sabalenka and the elements to reign on the Paris clay on Saturday.
The 21-year-old American, seeded second, came from a set down to beat world No 1 Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.
A stiff breeze swirled around Court Philippe-Chatrier, which 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 – when she also beat the Belarusian in the final.
“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.