Coco Gauff was only 18 when she navigated a path to a grand slam final for the first time. After her breakthrough in the preceding years, and the intense hype and scrutiny that accompanied her as she tried to build her career, Gauff’srun to the 2022 French Open finalproved to herself and the world that she was ready to live up to those expectations.
Although she did not win the title, her experience at Roland Garros then was an essential lesson that has guided her over the past few years. In the buildup to that final against Iga Swiatek, she struggled badly with her nerves and her intense fear of failure. “At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and the sun still rose the next day,” said Gauff after beating Loïs Boisson in their semi-final on Thursday. “So knowing, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise. Especially being in a city like Paris, I was walking around the next day, and no one knew that I lost [in 2022], and no one cared. Some people know who I am, but not a lot and not everyone. Just realising that however big the moment seems in our lives, [it] is not as big in the grand scheme of things.”
So now, Gauff will contest her secondFrench Openfinal at a completely different point in her career. This year has proved to be a significant learning curve in itself. In the first week of 2025, she produced some of her best performances in the United Cup and her level in beating Swiatek, particularly, remains some of the best tennis by anyone this year. It seemed clear she had positioned herself for a great season.
Instead, things became tough. After a quarter-final loss at the Australian Open, Gauff struggled badly. Across February and March, from the Middle East to the United States, she did not reach a single quarter-final. She has found her way again on the European red clay, piecing together an extremely consistent series of results,reaching finals at the Madrid Openand Italian Open before another stellar run in Paris has taken her to the final against Aryna Sabalenka.
This tournament places Gauff at an interesting intersection. She has already enjoyed her first breakthrough, winning her first major titleat the 2023 US Openand then backing it up by triumphing at the WTA Finals in Riyadh last year. At a time when two players – Sabalenka and Swiatek – have distanced themselves from the field by consistently racking up big titles on the biggest stages, the next question for Gauff is whether she is ready and capable of taking another leap forward and consistently competing for every grand slam.
On Saturday, Gauff will have a chance to measure herself against the best player in the world. Although both have developed into well-rounded players, with the American improving offensively and Sabalenka employing greater variety and restraint, this is fundamentally a battle between the best defence and the best attack in the sport.
Their contrasting styles have made for a tight, intense rivalry over the years. They have played each other for five years now, their first meeting when Gauff was only 16. They are tied at 5-5 and half of their meetings have been bruising three-set tussles. When Sabalenka is in full flow, striking the ball with total confidence, her heavy weaponry will usually be overpowering. However, Gauff, who was 21 in March, can unsettle anyone. The 2023 US Open final was their only other meeting in a grand slam final and the American narrowed the court with her phenomenal defensive skills, eventually driving Sabalenka to one of the most painful losses of her career.
Although the Belarusian, 27, has risen only one spot in the rankings since August 2023, from two to one, she seems like a completely different competitor today. Not only is she a more complete player, she has gained so much confidence and contentment in her daily work. She has only been emboldened by her performances this week, particularly her impressive semi-final victory over the four-time champion Swiatek. The sun will rise again regardless of how the match pans out, but the stakes are high. Under these circumstances, a win for Gauff would signify the most significant achievement in her career.