NEW DELHI: In a historic French Open final, Coco Gauff secured her maiden title on clay by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka with scores of 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday.The world number two Gauff demonstrated resilience in a match filled with intense exchanges and shifting advantages to secure her second major championship, following her triumph at the 2023 US Open, where she similarly overcame Sabalenka after losing the first set.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!This match marked a significant occasion, being only the second top-ranked players’ final in Paris in three decades, with the previous one occurring in 2013 between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.Following Sabalenka’s errant backhand on the second match point, the 21-year-old American collapsed backwards, hands covering her face before resting on the clay court.
She acknowledged Sabalenka at the net, embraced film director Spike Lee, and joined her team in celebration, achieving redemption three years after her initial Roland-Garros final defeat.The final set began with Sabalenka displaying strength, maintaining her aggressive strategy to secure her service game.Gauff elevated her performance, winning an impressive point in the third game that earned enthusiastic support from spectators. A sophisticated exchange of drop shots culminated in Gauff’s lob, which Sabalenka pursued before attempting a between-the-legs shot, but Gauff intercepted at the net for a winning point.Gauff’s steady baseline play earned her a break opportunity, which she secured when Sabalenka committed a double fault, establishing a 2-1 advantage. Despite Sabalenka’s visible frustration directed at her team, she regained focus to level the score at 3-3.
