Coco Gauff is the new name on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. The 21-year-old American got her inscription after a gutsy three-set win over the top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Do the right thing
It's taken this long for a film reference? What's happening to the review? Fatigue? Indolence? Incompetence? Perhaps an alarming alloy of the three. The American director Spike Lee was among the first to congratulate Coco Gauff as she sped towards her mum and dad after winning the French Open women's singles title. Is a biopic in the offing?
Stage presence
Twenty years ago, Justine Henin won the second of her four women's singles titles at the French Open. The Belgian, who operates as a TV commentator during the fortnight, was back on centre court to present the trophies to runner-up Aryna Sabalenka and the winner Coco Gauff. "It's an honour just to share the stage with you Justine," said Sabalenka. "You are a source of inspiration for so many players." And looking around at the spectators on centre court, the 27-year-old Belarusian added: "Thank you everyone for your support. I will come back stronger."
Away days
No doubt that Aryna Sabalenka will come back oozing intent and even more all conquering. She will leave the parish of St Roland with a purse bearing €1.2 million. And head for? Greece is the word. "I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar," said the 27-year-old. "I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy ... if I could swear, I would swear right now, but this crazy thing that happened today. But yeah, tequila, gummy bears, and I don't know, swimming." She might come back less unforgiving.
Weather gods
Aryna Sabalenka racked up 70 unforced errors over the course of the final lasting two hours and 38 minutes. Coco Gauff, it seemed, dealt with the swirls and arrows of windy fortune far better. "I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame," lamented Sabalenka. "Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you're on the back foot. It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this." She didn't.
Never yield
Yui Kamji from Japan won the women's wheelchair singles title for a fifth time. The top beat the second seed Aniet van Koot 6-2, 6-2. Kamji's compatriot, Tokito Oda, had a mixed day. The 19-year-old beat Alfie Hewett to claim the men's wheelchair singles 6-4, 7-6 and then teamed up with the French veteran Stephane Houdet for the doubles. But Hewett and fellow Briton Gordon Reid took that trophy. They won the third set super tiebreaker with six points on the trot to give the pair a 10-7 victory.
