After securing her first major title at the French Open, Coco Gauff was asked about her long-term goals in the sport. Without hesitation, she responded plainly, “I want to be the greatest.” She recounted her father instilling this belief in her when she was just 8 years old, adding, “Obviously you never believe it… But, like, you have to just say things. You never know what happens.”
Her rapid rise began at Wimbledon when she was only 15, achieving a stunning victory over her childhood idol, seven-time major champion Venus Williams. Having already claimed the junior French Open title and her first WTA match win earlier that year, Gauff entered Wimbledon qualifying as a wild card. While largely unknown to casual fans, tennis insiders had been anticipating her breakthrough for some time.
Her win over Williams ignited “Cocomania,” with excitement and curiosity amplifying with each subsequent match she won. By the culmination of her remarkable fourth-round run at the All England Club, widespread belief in her potential for greatness had taken hold.
Transitioning from a promising 15-year-old with minimal pressure to an overnight sensation expected to win constantly proved challenging. Despite consistent progress, including reaching the 2022 French Open final, it took four years for Gauff to secure her first major title at the US Open in 2023. The following five Grand Slam tournaments passed without another appearance in a final.
Her caliber was undeniable, demonstrated by her victory at the 2024 WTA Finals and consecutive final appearances at 1000-level clay events leading up to Roland Garros. However, achieving her ultimate goal of becoming “the greatest” still seemed a considerable journey away.
Yet, she significantly closed that gap during the recent two weeks in Paris. As the No. 2 seed, Gauff powered through the French Open draw, dropping only a single set before reaching the final. She seized the French Open title on Saturday with a resilient comeback win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, prevailing 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a match spanning two hours and 38 minutes. Immediately after securing the victory, she collapsed onto the clay court, covering her mouth in apparent disbelief as tears streamed down her face while she waited for the trophy presentation.
It remains to be seen whether Gauff, still just 21, will ultimately fulfill her ambitious lifelong aspiration to join the pantheon of one-name tennis legends like Serena, Novak, Roger, and Rafa. Nevertheless, her triumph at Roland Garros feels like the dawn of her prime and firmly establishes her position among the sport`s current elite.
Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert commented after the match, “She has so many [major titles] ahead of her… We saw when she beat Venus at Wimbledon. We thought, `This girl`s going to be winning 10, 12, 14 major titles. She`s got the game… She just loves the game and she`s going to be around for a long, long time winning majors.`”
Gauff is the first American woman to win a French Open title since Serena Williams in 2015.
Gauff`s achievements already place her in conversations with some of tennis`s historical figures. Her 27th match win at Roland Garros tied her with Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario for the fourth-most Open era wins for a woman before her 22nd birthday. Her semifinal victory broke a tie with Serena Williams for the second-most by an American woman in this category, trailing only Chris Evert, who won seven French Open titles.
She also became the first American woman to win the title at Roland Garros in a decade. Furthermore, she is just the fifth American woman in the Open era to secure multiple Grand Slam titles by the age of 21, joining the distinguished company of Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Venus Williams, and Tracy Austin.
Prominent figures including Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King congratulated her on social media following the win. Director Spike Lee, present courtside, was the first person she embraced in celebration.
During the final match itself, Gauff`s focus was solely on the competition, not historical significance, growing fame, or even past matches against Sabalenka. Instead, she clearly remembered the sting of losing the 2022 French Open final on the very same court, Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Thus, after dropping the lengthy first set in a tiebreak, Gauff remained visibly composed, determined not to let this opportunity slip away again. She masterfully and decisively seized control of the match. Gauff needed just 33 minutes to dominate the second set, showcasing her powerful serve, aggressive returns, and remarkable speed. Perhaps most impressive, however, was her unwavering resolve and poise under pressure.
Former world No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki remarked after the match, “She`s so much more mature than a 21-year-old.”
Sabalenka, struggling to hide her disappointment, commended Gauff during her on-court speech, calling her a “fighter and a hard worker.” For Gauff, this moment was the culmination of three years of striving. “I just remembered… that ceremony when Iga [Swiatek] won,” Gauff said on Saturday, recalling her determination then to absorb every detail and aspire to experience it herself. “So when the anthem got played today, I kind of had those reflections.”
Gauff`s emotional maturity and competitive spirit were evident throughout the clay season, where she defeated several major champions and top-10 players. Her path through Roland Garros included a tough three-set victory over fellow American Madison Keys and a commanding win against French favorite Lois Boisson in the semifinals, silencing the partisan crowd and allowing Boisson just three games.
“She was really solid, and I couldn`t play my game today because she was just too good,” Boisson stated after their match.
While Gauff remains the world No. 2, trailing Sabalenka, she has opportunities to close the point gap throughout the upcoming summer, starting with the grass-court season. She is scheduled to play in Berlin next week but was unsure if she would compete immediately after the French Open. Although Wimbledon has not been her most successful major historically (reaching the fourth round twice), she will undoubtedly seek to build on her recent momentum at the All England Club this year.
Notably, Gauff is the first woman in tennis history to have earned her first two major titles after dropping the opening set in both finals.
Following the grass season, her attention will turn to the North American hard court swing and the US Open, where she will be under intense scrutiny from the home crowd and media. However, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to handle pressure and high expectations, possessing both the game and the mindset required. Moments after posing with the trophy, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens asked Gauff what was next. “Hopefully another one,” Gauff replied. “Yeah, definitely another one. But for now, just enjoying this one and I`m just glad to get another title to my résumé.”
Nearly six years after her impactful introduction to the tennis world, Gauff still possesses the same confidence, self-belief, and joyful approach. Her commitment to becoming great is as strong as ever, but time and experience have provided her with something perhaps even more crucial for achieving that goal: perspective.
When asked after her semifinal match how she managed not to be overwhelmed by the situation`s magnitude, her response was immediate: “I think just realizing how minuscule it is… Like everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final… knowing that, makes me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position.”
She concluded, “At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.”
Marcus Bellamy