American tennis sensation Cori ("Coco") Dionne Gauff from Atlanta has once again etched her name into tennis history, securing her second career Grand Slam singles title with a thrilling victory at the French Open. On Saturday, June 7, 2025, the 21-year-old triumphed over current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a hard-fought final, showcasing remarkable resilience and unwavering mental fortitude on the iconic red clay of Roland Garros in Paris.
As Coco awaited Aryna Sabalenka before walking out, headphones on and locked in, "one could only hope she remembered to bring her racquets with her this time" was the wise crack from former British tennis player turned comentator, Greg Rusedski. But then he also commented “Coco Gauff has matured beyond her years, even when she came out as a 15-year-old beating Venus Williams at Wimbledon. The way she speaks and the way she thinks about life and tennis is a breath of fresh air. She is one of the best competitors in this sport and the best mover on the WTA. What sets her apart is her mindset.” High praise from Rusedski, a former world number 1 himself.
Gauff's journey to this moment is a testament to her progress in the professional game. She is young but has been at it for over 7 years by now. Prior to turning pro, Coco first made waves in the junior circuit, reaching the semifinals one of the five Super Category tournaments in the U14 circuit of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, which is universally recognized as the world’s leading indoor U14 competition. Coco was just 12 years old at that time. She grew in confidence and ability and became the youngest girls' singles finalist in US Open history. Her junior career culminated in winning the 2018 US Open junior doubles title, as a 14 year old(!), then the French Open singles title that year. She reached world junior number 1 and turned pro later that year in 2018.
She would not have to wait long for her first real breakout moment. At Wimbledon in 2019, at only 15 years old, she became the youngest player in the tournament's history to qualify for the main draw, famously defeating her idol Venus Williams in the first round and reaching the fourth round. This set the stage for a steady rise: in 2020, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open; in 2021, she made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open and the US Open doubles final. 2022 saw her reach her first major singles final at the French Open and achieve a career-high doubles ranking of world number 1. In 2023, she won her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open and, most notably, her first major singles title at the US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final, making her the youngest woman to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.
Last year she claimed the WTA Finals title and also won the French Open doubles title with Kateřina Siniaková. And now, in 2025, she secured her second Grand Slam singles title at the French Open, again defeating Aryna Sabalenka, making her the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. Throughout this impressive progression, Gauff has achieved a career-high singles ranking of world number 2, showcasing remarkable consistency and adaptability.
A significant influence on Coco Gauff's career has been her deep admiration for Serena and Venus Williams, whom she openly credits as her childhood idols. Gauff has often spoken about their importance as "the only two Black women" she admired in tennis growing up, emphasizing the profound impact that they had on her as a young girl growing up in America.
Despite her own burgeoning list of achievements, Gauff has expressed a desire to emulate, but not simply imitate, her idols. She acknowledges Serena as "the GOAT" and has stated her hope to achieve "half of what she does," while maintaining that she won't directly compare herself to such legends. Her memorable victory over Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 was indeed a "storybook" beginning to her professional career, a moment where she recalls intentionally avoiding looking at the scoreboard to keep her idol's name out of sight. It's clear that the Williams sisters have been a powerful and enduring source of inspiration for Gauff.
The recent championship match at Roland Garros was a captivating back-and-forth battle, with Gauff ultimately prevailing 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. Sabalenka, known for her aggressive and powerful game, started strong, taking the first set in a tense tiebreak. However, Gauff, displaying the composure that has become a hallmark of her burgeoning career, found her rhythm in the subsequent sets. She masterfully capitalized on Sabalenka's mounting unforced errors to dictate play and ultimately seize control of the contest.
This victory holds particular significance for Gauff, coming three years after her first French Open final appearance in 2022, where she was defeated by the formidable Iga Świątek. That prior experience, as Gauff recently revealed, had subtly instilled some doubt about her ability to win on the Parisian clay. "Losing in the finals here three years ago had created a lot of doubt in my head," Gauff candidly shared in a heartfelt social media post following her win. "I thought I could never overcome the pressure, I thought holding this trophy would never happen." Her triumph over Sabalenka, a player she also famously defeated in the 2023 US Open final for her inaugural major singles title, emphatically underscores Gauff's incredible growth and her profound ability to overcome past setbacks and high-pressure situations.
The spirited crowd at Roland Garros witnessed a mature and highly strategic performance from the young American. Gauff remained remarkably calm and focused, even as the intensity of the match escalated and the challenging, windy conditions tested both players. "I felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that when I was younger that I felt I had the best shot of winning," Gauff explained after her victory. "So I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff. Today, playing Aryna, I was just, 'I just gotta go for it and try my best to get through the match'."
Beyond her singles success, Gauff also achieved a notable feat in doubles at this year's French Open, clinching the title with her partner Kateřina Siniaková. This adds yet another prestigious trophy to her impressive collection of nine career doubles titles and further highlights her versatility and all-around abilities on court.
Gauff's victory marks a pivotal moment for American tennis, as she becomes the first American woman to win the French Open since the legendary Serena Williams in 2015. Her accomplishments continue to inspire a new generation of players and fans alike. With two Grand Slam singles titles already under her belt, Coco Gauff's journey in professional tennis is still in its thrilling early chapters. As she now looks ahead to the grass courts of Wimbledon in a few weeks, the entire tennis world eagerly anticipates what more this prodigious talent can achieve.
She is already half way there to a career grand slam. Only ten women have ever achieved this. If Coco does it too she joins the likes of Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and her idol, Serena Williams. It is hard to believe she is only 21 years old.
