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PARIS – On a sunlit stage drenched in drama and destiny, Coco Gauff did not just win the French Open final — she owned it. In a three-set thriller that danced between tension and triumph, the 21-year-old American toppled Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 on the hallowed clay of Court Philippe Chatrier, securing her second Grand Slam title and her first in Paris. And if it felt familiar, that’s because the tennis gods love a good sequel: just like at the 2023 US Open, her opponent was once again Sabalenka.

Coco Gauff (21) achieves her first victory in her second French Open final

Only this time, it was the red clay beneath her shoes, and a nation on edge watching the world’s top two go head-to-head in a slugfest that spared no nerves.

The opening act was Sabalenka’s to lose—and nearly not. She came out swinging, steamrolling to a 4-1 lead like she was late for a flight. But tennis, as we know, loves a plot twist. Her groundstrokes grew jittery, her serve got shaky, and Gauff, with the tenacity of a player who’d learned a thing or two from heartbreak, clawed her way back to 5-4. Sabalenka missed a set point, blinked at the brink, and barely scraped through a nail-biting tiebreak 7-5.

But the second set was pure Gauff. The Floridian phenom went full throttle, finding angles sharper than a Sabalenka scream and mixing defense with daring like a seasoned Parisian chef. Two quick breaks, and the set was over before the crowd had time to reload their espresso.

By the final set, Gauff had transformed into something more than just a player. She was a conductor, and the match her orchestra. Sabalenka, meanwhile, was unraveling in real-time. The Belarusian committed a whopping 70 unforced errors, at one point furiously interrogating the clay for answers (the ball marks, alas, remained silent). Her frustrations boiled over in heated glances and shouts toward her player box, but nothing could stop the bleeding.

Coco Gauff achieves her dream. Three years after the final defeat, now the victory in Paris

The pivotal moment came at 5-3, when Gauff dug in, held serve, and let the weight of the moment crash into her chest like a forehand winner down the line. One game later, on her second match point, she sealed the victory. She dropped her racket. Then she dropped to the clay. And for a second, she just lay there — as if Paris itself had stunned her into disbelief.

She embraced Sabalenka, who tearfully apologized at the awards ceremony for what she called “terrible tennis,” a harsh self-assessment that belied the grit and electricity of the match.

Aryna Sabalenka (27) is angry with herself and the world

Then came the run. Across the court, to her box, to her family. To the man who didn’t watch her matches for years — her father, Corey Gauff, back in the stands because Paris has a funny way of pulling fathers to daughters in moments that matter. “Too exciting for him,” Coco had said earlier. Today, he had no choice.

And with tears that mirrored the clay smudged on her limbs, Gauff addressed the crowd. “I had to go through a lot after my loss three years ago. I had self-doubt. I’m so happy to be standing here again with the trophy.”

From heartbreak in 2022 to glory in 2025 — this wasn’t just a tennis match. It was a redemption story written in topspin. Paris, consider yourself served. And Coco? She’s just getting started.