In this case, it’s better to stay quiet if you have nothing good to say, as Aryna Sabalenka faces backlash over a comment she made during the post-match interview: “(Coco) won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.”
She also told reporters that if Gauff had faced the Clay Queen, Iga Świątek, who won the French Open four times in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and defeated Gauff last year in the semi-final by 6-2, 6-4, she would have faced the same outcome and lost.
The 21-year-old, who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, defeated the World No. 1 in women’s singles, Aryna Sabalenka, by 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4 in the French Open final.
With this victory, Gauff became the first American woman to win the singles title since Serena Williams in 2015.
Gauff seemed completely unfazed by her opponent’s remarks as she took to Instagram to share just how over the moon she is about her win. After years of hard work and intense training, she posted on June 7, “I worked so hard for this moment and for it to have happened is insane. Thank you, God, and thank you, everyone. This means the world…” alongside a gallery of photos from the event.
She went on to say, “I’m still in shock, honestly can’t find the words, but all I can say for now is just thank you and never give up on your dreams.”
Coco Gauff made her debut on the French Open scene in 2020 with an impressive first-round win against Johanna Konta. Since then, she’s competed six times at Roland Garros, steadily climbing the ranks and hitting her peak as the runner-up in 2022, setting the stage for her eventual breakthrough.
Following in the footsteps of her idol Serena Williams, Coco Gauff’s French Open win proves she’s not just copying greatness, she’s creating her own. Serena herself has been crowned the French Open champion three times, in 2002, 2013, and 2015. Her 2002 victory will go down in the tennis books of history, where she defeated her sister Venus 7-5, 6-3, showing the world that while they are siblings off the court, on the court they are fierce competitors.
