The Coupe Suzanne Lenglen - the trophy awarded to the women's singles champion at the French Open - will be adorned with a new name on Saturday afternoon after top seed Aryna Sabalenka and second seed Coco Gauff finish their battle to be that inscription.
It will be their 11th confrontation on the WTA circuit since 2020 but their first at the French Open.
"Winning is going to mean everything to me and my team," said Sabalenka who beat the defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-final on Thursday.
"I have to say that almost like the whole of my life I've been told that clay is not my thing and then I didn't have any confidence."
The 27-year-old has given the lie to that barb. Three of her 20 titles have come on clay, most recently the Madrid Open crown where she beat Gauff in straight sets.
"We've been able to develop my game so much," she added on the eve of her clash with Gauff on centre court at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris.
"So I feel really comfortable on this surface and am actually enjoy playing on clay.
Game with variation
Sabalenka has added slices and drop shots to her devastating power off both flanks. The first set she lost in the competition came against Swiatek and she remedied that second set blip with a 6-0 mauling in the decider.
"I'm ready to go into the final and to fight, fight for every point and give everything I have to give to get the win," she added.
Gauff was still in her teens when Swiatek carved her up in the 2022 French Open final. The 21-year-old American says she has matured.
Proof of that evolution came on Thursday afternoon in the semi-final where she displayed commendable composure to silence the raucous partisans as she obliterated the hometown heroine Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2.
The match against the world number 361 was all over in 69 minutes.
Gauff says she expects a sterner examination against Sabalenka.
Arsenal of shots
"She can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much from all areas of the court," said Gauff of Sabalenka who she beat to win the US Open in September 2023.
"Her ball striking, her mentality, she's a fighter as well. She's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline."
Victory would give Gauff her second crown from one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.
A win would furnish Sabalenka with a fourth major and leave her just a Wimbledon title away from a career Grand Slam - wins at all the major venues.
"Obviously Aryna is someone who has great big shots and she's going to come out aggressive and she's going to come out swinging.
"I think I just have to expect that and do my best to counter that."
