This is set to be a blockbuster, with the top-two women’s seeds meeting in a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2018 (Wozniacki beat Halep in the Aussie Open final). World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will be looking to collect the 3rd leg of a career Grand Slam while Coco Gauff will be looking to win her 2nd Grand Slam title. This year’s winner will also be breaking Swiatek’s three-year stranglehold on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
2025 WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Ladies Final Preview- 7th June
Aryna Sabalenka (1) 0.5 vs Coco Gauff (2) 1.55
Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka weathered a stubborn 2nd set fightback from Iga Swiatek to ultimately dethrone the Queen of clay, turning on the afterburners in the final set to prevail 7-6, 4-6, 6-0. The roof was closed due to rain and probably played into Sabalenka’s hands (it created more controlled conditions). Sabalenka and Swiatek swapped sets before Sabalenka took charge in the 3rd, pummeling Swiatek into submission with her relentless, flat forehands (she ended the match with 29 winners to 25 unforced errors). As a result, Sabalenka has become the first woman since Serena Williams (2016) to reach three successive Grand Slam finals. Also, this will be her first Roland Garros (and her first non-hardcourt Grand Slam final to boot). She improved to 40-6 for the season with that Swiatek win, improving her head-to-head record against Swiatek to 5-8.
This will be Sabalenka’s 7th final of the season (she has won three and lost three of her previous six finals). She was the premier player during the clay-court campaign, reaching the Stuttgart final before claiming the Madrid title (beating Gauff in the final). She has worked on becoming a more complete clay-court player these past few seasons, incorporating a range of slices and drop-shots to add variety to her game. Having said that, she went back to the tried and tested to get the job done against Swiatek, launching a succession of gargantuan forehands to pacify the clay-court queen. Also, she has only served 12 double-faults this entire tournament. Sabalenka has managed to iron out some of her serving demons and looks far less susceptible to late-stage Grand Slam jitters.
Coco Gauff
2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff was the epitome of composure in her semifinal clash with Frenchwoman Lois Boisson, putting aside the lopsided crowd sentiment to cruise to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Gauff played within herself, using her defensive prowess to maneuver Boisson from pillar to post (she forced the Frenchwoman into a startling 33 unforced errors). Gauff was unbelievable on return, winning a staggering 62% of her first-serve return points and breaking the Frenchwoman on six occasions. Gauff is playing some wonderfully calculated tennis and not forcing the issue unnecessarily. She has looked a mature player this fortnight, dropping just that one set against Madison Keys. Gauff has also had her serving woes this season and did fire ten double faults against Keys. She only made two doubles against Boisson and appears to be growing more confident on her own delivery.
Gauff has endured a far more difficult campaign than Sabalenka. She helped USA win the United Cup before picking up a solid quarterfinal finish at the Aussie Open. She struggled in the aftermath of that Aussie Open quarterfinal defeat to Badosa, reaching just one quarterfinal in her next five tournaments. But she came out of hibernation during the WTA 1000 clay-court swing, picking up back-to-back runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome. She has really leveraged her athleticism during this clay-court swing, playing high-percentage tennis while trusting herself to keep the ball in play. She is arguably the best returner in the woman’s game and will look to put pressure on Sabalenka’s humongous serve.
The Verdict: Gauff to win in three sets at 4.8- This has been an incredible rivalry, with both players tied at five wins apiece. Sabalenka won their most recent meeting in straight sets at this year’s Madrid Open. Gauff has the Grand Slam final edge, coming back from a set down against the Belarusian at the 2023 US Open. I think that Gauff has the speed and defensive nous to neutralize Sabalenka’s brand of first-strike tennis. She will remain rally-tolerant and should be able to counterpunch effectively.
