by Daniel Johnson
June 8, 2025
Gauff was the essence of cool when she took the title.
On June 7, Coco Gauff made history as the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2014—and the youngest to do so since Serena’s dominant run in 2002, when she captured the US Open, French Open, and Wimbledon titles. Gauff’s victory was nothing short of electrifying, as she pulled off a stunning second come-from-behind win, this time toppling world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in dramatic fashion.
According to The Athletic, Gauff kept her cool after dropping the first set 6-7, but rebounded and outplayed Sabalenka in the next two sets, winning those sets 6-2 and 6-4, respectively.
Initially, Sabalenka tried to force Gauff to defend the biggest weapon in her arsenal, her drop shot, which combined with her power game has often rendered her unbeatable, but as the wind picked up, Sabalenka’s tactics deteriorated, and Gauff pounced on her mistakes, pressuring her opponent into more unforced errors via her trademark brand of impeccable backline defense.
In contrast to Sabalenka’s meltdown—which she did not hide from her opponent at all—Gauff was the essence of cool, barely giving her opponent any bad body language to read. Following the match, too, Gauff was graceful and magnanimous in victory, offering her opponent praise, a gesture that the Belarusian would seem incapable of returning in her post -ame presser.
Coco Gauff becomes the first American player to win a singles title at the French Open since Serena Williams (2015) 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/duMUGhOKDq
– Sports Center (@sportscenter) June 7, 2025
Coco Gauff becomes the first woman in tennis history to rally from a set down to win their first two major titles.
It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish 💯 pic.twitter.com/NVkJUGkruK
— ESPN (@espn) June 7, 2025
“First, I’d like to thank God for always keeping me in his corner. I’m just happy to be here. A lot of hard knocks. It means a lot to be here. I’d also like to congratulate Aryna, you’re the No. 1 player in the world and it was a tough match. You deserve all the results you get and every time we play it’s such a tough match for me, so congratulations,” Gauff said in the on-court interview after the match concluded.
After addressing and thanking her coaches, Gauff turned to her parents, “You guys keep me grounded and give me the belief. Thanks and I love you guys. To my brothers at home, you are the reason I do this, and you inspire me more than you know. Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it, but I’m going to quote Tyler the Creator right here. He said: ‘If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying’. I was lying to myself, so thanks to Tyler, and thanks to you guys.”
Gauff also mused briefly on the state of her home country in her post-match press conference and stated fairly clearly her desire to be a role model for people who look like her, ostensibly, Black women.
Gauff, an athlete who has stated her desire “to use her racket to change the world,” before expressed her belief that although “There’s a lot going on in our country right now,” she wants to represent those “who maybe don’t feel as supported during this period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light.”
As Serena Williams inspired a generation of Black girls–now women—like herself, Taylor Townsend, Sloane Stephens, Naomi Osaka, Alycia Parks, Robin Anderson, and many others to pick up a tennis racquet and dream about winning on the biggest stages and under the brightest lights, Coco Gauff wants to return that favor to the next generation, and she is well on her way at just 21 years old.
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