Coco Gauff was already a tennis superstar, but she has elevated her status to another plane with her latest Grand Slam victory at Roland Garros.
Gauff overcame dominant world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka from a set down in challenging conditions, winning 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 after two hours and 38 minutes after trailing 4-1, 40-0 in the first set.
SABALENKA: “Time to rest, learn and come back stronger”
It’s her second major trophy after the 2023 US Open – where she also beat Sabalenka in the final – making her the first American woman to become a multiple Grand Slam champion since Serena Williams in 2002.
This one is extremely meaningful, given it comes where she won the junior title in 2018 and suffered one of the most difficult defeats of her career to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 women’s final.
“I think this one was just harder because you win one [Slam], and you just don't want to get satisfied with just that one,” said Gauff, who improves to a sparkling 10-3 in tournament finals.
“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. So I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff.
RELATED: Alcaraz defends Roland Garros title in unforgettable Slam final
“[After the 2022 final] I was doubting myself, wondering if I would ever be able to circum it, especially my mentality going into that match. I was crying before the match and so nervous, and literally couldn't breathe and stuff. I was, like, ‘if I can't handle this, how am I going to handle it again?’
“Then obviously US Open happened, and now I just felt really ready today, and I was, like, I'm just going to leave it all out there, and regardless of what happens, I can leave proud.”
She will feel immense pride at this latest career milestone, especially given what she has achieved by reigning in Paris.
And it’s yet another reminder not to discount a player who is often underrated, despite her world-leading defensive skills, competitive instincts and big-match success.
Gauff entered Roland Garros this year as the world No.2 and second seed and while she was among discussions of title favourites, she was rarely the main character.
Sabalenka had established herself as the undisputed No.1, winning Madrid and looking stronger than ever as she chased another major title and first away from hard courts.
Swiatek’s return to Roland Garros as three-time defending champion was the tonic her game needed; she gathered steam, scored a statement win over Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, and seemed on track for an historic fourth consecutive title.
Jasmine Paolini was generating headlines, beating Gauff in the Rome final and returning to Paris full of confidence as she targeted another run to the Roland Garros final.
COREY GAUFF: Serena’s AO 2010 triumph kick-started Coco’s tennis journey
Even Madison Keys, the reigning AO champion, began turning heads as she mowed down early-round opponents and went deep into another major tournament, building an impressive Grand Slam winning streak.
Gauff progressed quietly, in the less star-studded half of the draw, and had moments where the less-secure parts of her game – second serve and forehand – came under scrutiny.
But she kept winning.
She outlasted Keys in the quarterfinals three gritty sets, showcasing superior consistency, athleticism and aptitude for clay.
She dismantled Lois Boisson – something fellow top-10 stars Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva couldn’t do – in the semifinals to end the wildcard’s French fairytale.
And she handled the challenging conditions better in Saturday’s final than Sabalenka, adapting and adjusting while the increasingly-frustrated top seed sprayed 70 unforced errors. Gauff committed 40 less.
“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,” said Gauff, who by beating Keys and Sabalenka knocked off the two most recent major champions en route to the title.
“[After losing first set I thought] I have to try again and not play the same way… 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.”
Still, she remained calm enough despite “definitely freaking out” in the final game to serve out victory.
Gauff is the first woman since Venus Williams 20 years ago to win a Grand Slam final against a world No.1 from a set down, and the first in Paris since Steffi Graf beat Martina Hingis in an epic 1999 final.
At just 21 years old, Gauff is the youngest player to win majors on multiple surfaces since Maria Sharapova in 2006.
She finishes the claycourt season with more wins (18) than anyone, overtaking Sabalenka with her Roland Garros final win after losses in the Madrid and Rome finals.
Sabalenka may be the undisputed No.1, but Gauff remains arguably her toughest opponent.
In their growing rivalry, Gauff has won both their major finals from a set down and now leads the overall head-to-head 6-5, including 2-1 at majors.
“Honestly the way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favourite to win. So I think she was the best person that I could have played in the final,” Gauff said.
“Her being No.1 in the world was the best person to play, so I think I got the hardest matchup just if you go off stats alone.
“This [trophy] is heavy. I was trying to see which one was heavier, this one or US Open. They are both heavy. They kind of look the same, now that I'm looking at it up close.
“But it feels great to lift it. Honestly, being on the podium is really cool. I like how they do that [here at Roland Garros].
“It makes you feel on top of the world.”