We got what we wanted in the first set of the 2025 French Open women's final. Aryna Sabalenka jumped out to a 4-1 lead, playing some brilliant tennis with power and placement, and then the drama began.
Sabalenka's opponent, Coco Gauff, fought back to even the set, but both players struggled to hold serve. Another break late in the set by the Belarusian forced a tie-break, which Gauff appeared set to win. Mimicking the entire set when there were only four holds of serve in 12 games, Sabalenka clawed back and won the tie-break 7-5.
At no point was the tennis played by the top two seeds (and the top two-ranked players on the WTA tour) at a low level. Each was forcing the other into mistakes, or putting them into positions to have to do too much. For instance, Sabalenka won the first set, but she also committed an astonishing 32 unforced errors.
Coco Gauff wins the 2025 French Open by defeating Aryna Sabalenka
The second set completely belonged to Gauff as she got multiple breaks. Sabalenka's sharpness from the first part of the first set was gone. She appeared either to be tired from the grueling French Open schedule or struggling with the mental part of the game.
In the third set, Gauff got an early break to go up 2-1, and while holding serve at 40-30 in the following game, Sabalenka missed a relatively easy put-away by trying to do too much and swiped the ball into the net.
Not only was the Belarusian struggling to hold her own serve, but she was also getting further away from breaking the American. Early in the third set, Gauff, through a series of excellent decisions, not beating herself with unforced errors, and the ability to chase down nearly everything Sabalenka hit her way, had won nine of the previous 12 games.
Sabalenka was facing a must-hold at 1-3 in the third, but Gauff hit a brilliant backhand down the line to set up a break point. Gauff was not able to get the break immediately, but the point showed everything Gauff can do better on the court than Sabalenka. The Belarusian has immense power, the American is the better athlete.
Sometimes power wins out, though. Sabalenka was able to hold and then get a break of Gauff in the following game to even the third set at 3-all. She was helped by another one of Gauff's double faults (she had eight total for the match).
The momentum from the break did not last long, though. The American got yet another break, and at love, on the Belarusian's next service game. She held a 4-3 lead and simply needed to hold to win the title. Though holding in the match was difficult for both players.
Gauff held in her next game as did Sabalenka. Gauff led 5-4 and served for the championship. Sabalenka didn't make it easy and had a break point, but Gauff was able to get even and then on another unforced error by the Belarusian, Gauff got the victory 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4.
Gauff's ability to play more efficiently was the key to the match. She finished with 30 winners and 30 unforced errors. Sabalenka had 37 winners, but 70 unforced errors.
In winning the French Open, the 21-year-old Gauff secured her second Grand Slam title. She became the first American to win at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015. She became the first American woman other than Williams to win the French Open since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.
Gauff also secured her WTA No. 2 ranking, though in the live rankings, she still trails No. 1 Sabalenka by nearly 3,500 points. Gauff has a better than 1,500-point lead over No. 3 Jessica Pegula.