Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time at 21 years old, defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday’s final. She now holds two Grand Slam titles, having previously won the US Open in 2023 as a teenager.
The 21-year-old American triumphed in a match filled with tension and momentum swings. It marked the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova – and only the second such matchup in the past 30 years.
Coco following Serena’s footsteps
Since Serena Williams retired, the American WTA throne has remained largely vacant – until now. Coco Gauff has just emulated Serena’s early career milestones, signaling the rise of a new era in American tennis.
Both Coco and Serena won the US Open as teenagers (Williams at 17 and Gauff at 19), claimed the WTA Finals the year they turned 20, and most recently, captured the Roland-Garros title at age 21.
With this victory, Gauff became the youngest American to win Roland-Garros since – you guessed it – Serena Williams in 2002. It’s a full-circle moment that highlights just how closely Gauff’s journey mirrors that of her idol, and cements her status as the new face of American women’s tennis.
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