Aryna Sabalenka was the heavy favorite in her French Open championship match against Coco Gauff, but the American’s resilience and Sabalenka’s unforced errors prevented her from winning the title. Sabalenka appeared to be on her way to an easy victory when she opened the match by winning four of the first five games and racing out to a 40-love lead in the sixth, but Gauff was undeterred.
She fought all the way back and sent the first set to a tiebreak, and while Gauff lost the opener, she rolled in the second and third sets. The 21-year-old Gauff earned her first French Open title by a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 margin.
Gauff was clearly overjoyed with the victory, but Sabalenka was disappointed in her own performance. Her power was on display throughout the match, but she didn’t have an answer for Gauff’s accuracy and quickness. Sabalenka could not figure out the windy conditions, and she appeared to struggle while Gauff figured out how to play in less than ideal weather.
“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me,” Sabalenka said after the match to the assembled press. “I think it was the worst final I ever played.
“Coco won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes.”
Sabalenka simply made too many unforced errors
The 5-11 Belarusian superstar is the top-ranked player in the women’s game. She was the top seed in the French Open, but once Gauff started to raise her level of play after the slow start, Aryna Sabalenka appeared to doubt herself.
She was able to hit a number of shots with significant pace, but those shots were right in Gauff’s wheel house and she was able to return them with velocity. As Gauff’s confidence grew in the latter portion of the first set, Sabalenka’s mind set was filled with doubt.
“I think it got more windy [after 4-1]. Also, I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn’t really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say. So basically, that’s it. I was just making unforced errors.”
Sabalenka appeared to be the favorite of the majority of the fans in attendance as the match got underway, but Gauff’s courage under fire and her ability to counterpunch against the 27-year-old Sabalenka won much of the crowd over.
Gauff became the first American to win the French Open title since Serena Williams took the championship in 2015.
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