Delray Beach tennis star Coco Gauff claimed her first French Open title at Roland Garros on June 7, defeating the world No. 1 female player Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling Grand Slam final.
The victory marks Gauff’s second Grand Slam title and makes her the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. At just 21, she is also the youngest American to lift the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup since Williams did so in 2002.
Despite gusty winds and the pressure of facing an opponent who had defeated her at the Madrid Open just last month, Gauff powered through with a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win. Overcome with emotion, she fell to the court repeating, “Oh my God, oh my God,” before sharing a heartfelt embrace with Sabalenka at the net. Later, she exchanged handshakes with film director Spike Lee and took a moment courtside to soak it all in.
“It feels great. It was tough,” Gauff told TNT Sports after the match. “I don’t think either of us were playing great, but I knew as soon as I stepped on the court, when I felt that it was windy, it was going to be one of those matches, so I wanted to give myself the best chance on every point.”
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Photo by Alain Jocard