At 21 years old, Coco Gauff is giving us another great reason to watch tennis. On Saturday, June 7, 2025, she won her first 2025 French Open. Outplaying Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. With that win, Gauff racked up her second Grand Slam Singles title. However, when a Black woman wins, it inevitably comes with drama. But the plot twist here is that Coco Gauff doesn’t play those kinds of games. And we can learn a thing or two from her. The person she is competing against is herself.
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This Was Not Coco Gauff’s First French Open Final
The first time Coco Gauff was in the French Open finals was in 2022. She was just 18 at the time and playing against the number one seed, Iga Swiatek from Poland, who easily beat Gauff in straight sets.
According to Talksport, during the awards, Gauff said, “This is the first time for me, so let’s try to get through this.”
Through a steady stream of tears, she also paid tribute to her opponent and her team. But her thank you to the crowd, who kept cheering for her, is what everyone remembers.
“Thank you guys for always supporting me,” the American said. “Hopefully, this is the first final of many. I really appreciate you guys a lot. You guys helped me so much throughout this year.”
How Her First French Open Final Made Coco Gauff Doubt Herself
Gauff talks openly about that first experience because it left an indelible mark. After winning on Saturday, she reflected on how much that first loss at the French Open devastated her.
“I had dark thoughts because this was a tournament I really wanted to win. I paid attention to every detail. When the Polish anthem played, I vividly remember thinking, ‘this is such a cool moment.’
It was a tough time. I was doubting myself, wondering if I would ever succumb to it, especially my mentality going into the match.
I was crying going into the match. I couldn’t breathe, and if I couldn’t handle this, how could I handle anything else? How am I going to handle this again?
Obviously, the US Open happened. Now I really felt ready today, regardless of what happened. I can leave it all out there and leave here proud.”
How Coco Gauff Rises Above the Drama
Coco Gauff may have studied at the Audra McDonald school of grace because they are both unbothered by controversy. They focus on their talent and don’t get distracted in the muck and mire.
If you are unclear about what I am referencing, according to SI.com, when Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, spoke to reporters after their French Open Finals match, she was far from gracious. She didn’t think Gauff won because she was particularly good. It was because Sabalenka thought she had an off day.
“I think it was more windy. Also, I think I was over emotional,” Sabalenka said. “Today, I didn’t handle myself quite well mentally. Basically, that’s it. I was just making unforced errors. I don’t know. I have to check the statistics. I think she won the match not because she played incredibly. Just because I made all of those mistakes, if you look from the outside, from kind of easy balls.”
Only after being called out for her rude remarks, Sabalenka acknowledged that Gauff had earned the prize (which, of course, we already knew).
“Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win,” Sabalenka wrote. “She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned…..I didn’t play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose.”
When Gauff appeared on GMA Monday, June 9, 2025, Robin Roberts asked her about Sabalenka’s comments. Gauff admitted that the wind had been a factor throughout the tournament. Some of her matches had been played with the roof open, others with it closed.
“Honestly, when I stepped on the court, I was aware of the wind. We both practiced with the roof closed,” she said. “I honestly wanted the roof to be closed before the match because in my quarter-final and semi it was closed and I was playing good tennis.
But I found it was open, I saw how windy it was on the court, and I knew it was going to be an ugly wind, she continued. “If you play in windy conditions, if you play tennis, you know it is not going to be a perfect day on a windy court. I knew that going in.
After that, she continued, I was a little surprised about the comments. But I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt. I am sure it was an emotional day, an emotional match.
Every time I play Aryna, she is a tough opponent. She is a fighter. We are 6-5 in head-to-head, so it’s very close. I had to force her to play that way.”
In an interview with another outlet, she put it more succinctly. “When the wind is blowing, you’re not going to win by playing pretty tennis.”
Coco Gauff Leans on Positivity and Belief
When Gauff stopped at CBS Mornings, Nate Burleson asked the young champion if she ever had any self-doubt. She said yes.
“I have a lot of self-doubt. I talk openly about it because a lot of people deal with that in their everyday lives,” she said. “I try to redirect them into positive thoughts.
Even if you don’t truly believe them. Eventually, when those moments are tough and your back is against the wall, and you don’t know where to lean. Try leaning on positivity and belief.
That’s what carried me through that match and throughout the whole tournament.”
But even when she is winning, she remembers who she is.
According to ESPN.com, she said this in one of her post-win interviews. “There’s a lot going on in our country right now with things,” she said.
“But just to be able to be a representation of that and a representation of, I guess, people that look like me in America who maybe don’t feel as supported during this time period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light for those people.”
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