We can debate whether or not defense wins championships in team sports. But today we know defense definitely wins major tennis titles. On Saturday afternoon in Paris, amid cold, damp and windy conditions, Coco Gauff simply neutralized an aggressive opponent and won her second major, taking the 2025 French Open title, beating Aryna Sabalenka 6–7, 6–2, 6–4.
In a topsy-turvy match involving the top two seeds of the tournament, Gauff retrieved balls, played with poise and patience and let her opponent combust. Of course, when the opportunity presented itself she was happy to go on the offense. But this was a victory for retrieving and it earned Gauff not just her second major, but a slot in the Tennis Hall of Fame.
This was a match that was a replay of the 2023 U.S. Open final, which was Gauff’s breakthrough, and the 2025 French Open played to a remarkably similar rhythm. The young American lost the first set, but then retrieved so many balls it changed her opponent’s mindset and calculus, as Sabalenka, the world’s No. 1 player for almost the entirety of this year, began to self-combust. Gauff simply stuck to her game plan. Though six years younger, she played far more mature tennis and has a trophy to show for it.
This ought to reset the discussion of Gauff a bit. While it’s been almost two years since her maiden title, she stayed at the top ranks of the game. She wins on all surfaces. She wins with a combination of offense and defense. She is nothing but smart, charming and engaging off the court. This is an absolute superstar.
Gauff becomes the first American to win this title at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015, and unlike virtually all other Americans, clay may in fact be Gauff’s most effective surface. Throughout this tournament, she did some measure of what she did in the final, if not against as accomplished a player. She stuck to her strategy, kept her nerve, married pace with accuracy, played through rough patches and ended up on top.
As for Sabalenka, she retains her No. 1 ranking, but this must be devastating. Yet again, she played into the later rounds of a major (for two years running you will find her in the quarterfinals or better of every major tournament). But Sabalenka lacked anything resembling accuracy, registering 70 unforced errors (bear in mind that it takes 24 points to win one set). And the more Gauff retrieved, the more Sabalenka tended to over-hit. She has lost other close three-set finals and simply shrugged and said too good. This was something else entirely and she will be regretting the missed opportunity for a long time.
For the first time since 1984, the final pits the top two players in the world on the men’s and women’s side. While the women’s finale did not serve up a classic, it did serve an extraordinary back-and-fourth and a masterclass of how to win when you are the less-powerful opponent. Gauff is now a two-time major champion and Wimbledon begins in barely three weeks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Coco Gauff Solidifies Superstar Status With French Open Win.
