Coco Gauff claimed a first-ever French Open crown with a sensational three-set victory over Aryna Sabalenka.
Gauff, the world No. 2, came back from a set down to beat the top seed 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The American claimed the second Grand Slam title of her career in some fashion, falling to the clay on her back as a Sabalenka backhand flew into the tramlines.
It seemed as though it would be one-way traffic as Sabalenka raced into a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but Gauff fought back gallantly to force errors from the Belarusian, hauling herself back level to force a tiebreak.
She lost that tiebreak, but rallied magnificently to turn the tide in the second, breaking in the first game before supplementing that with another to love to go up 4-1.
She rode a temporary storm in the following game as Sabalenka broke back, but Gauff reinstated her advantage to love once more before serving it out to sit down at one set all.
It was oh-so tight in the decider, but the momentum was with Gauff.
She broke to go up 2-1, but lost that cushion at 3-3. She was laser-focused, however, and broke to love yet again, building on that burst of confidence to serve it out.
She passed up her first championship point as Sabalenka blasted a ferocious forehand return down the line, but she converted the second, but that was not without an air of uncertainty.
Gauff had shanked a forehand that the Parisian crowd thought was going long, but it dipped and landed on the baseline, taking Sabalenka by surprise.
She sent a backhand wide, and Gauff collapsed with emotion, tears streaming down her face for number two.
“I was going through a lot of things when I lost this final three years ago,” Gauff said in her acceptance speech before breaking down crying.
“I’m just happy to be here. Aryna, you’re a fighter, the No1 player in the world. Every time we play, it’s such a tough match.”
“This one hurts so much,” said a tearful Sabalenka afterwards. “Especially after the last two weeks, playing such great tennis in these terrible conditions, and then to play such terrible tennis in the final really hurts.
“Coco, congrats. You were a better player than me. It’s well deserved. You’re a fighter; a hard worker.”
