Coco Gauff Surges at Roland-Garros: American Teen’s Stunning Comeback Punches Ticket to French Open Final Four

PARIS—Coco Gauff’s red-clay renaissance has carried the 21-year-old American into her second career French Open final, where she will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday afternoon at Court Philippe-Chatrier. Gauff punched her ticket by toppling four-time Roland-Garros champion Iga Świątek 7-6(4), 6-4 in a pulsating semi-final, a performance that showcased the explosive forehand and newly improved serve that have defined her 2025 season. ROAD TO THE FINAL • Round of 16: d. Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-2 • Quarter-final: d. Madison Keys 6-4, 7-5 in the first all-American last-eight clash in Paris since 2004 • Semi-final: d. Iga Świątek 7-6(4), 6-4 Gauff owns a tour-best 38-5 match record this year, collecting titles in Auckland, Doha, and Madrid while climbing to a career-high No. 2. Her victory over Świątek snapped the Pole’s 21-match Roland-Garros winning streak and illustrated the tactical maturity Gauff has added since pairing with coach Brad Gilbert last summer. THE SABALENKA SHOWDOWN Saturday’s final will be the third Grand Slam meeting between Gauff and Sabalenka; the American won the 2023 US Open final, while the Belarusian took their Madrid title bout last month. Sabalenka leads their overall head-to-head 5-4, though Gauff has captured three of the last five encounters, each decided by razor-thin margins. The matchup pits Sabalenka’s raw first-strike power against Gauff’s foot speed, counterpunching, and increasingly aggressive court positioning. KEYS TO VICTORY 1. Serve Efficiency: Gauff has averaged 73 percent first-serve points won this fortnight—10 points higher than her 2024 clay-court average. Holding that number above 70 percent is essential to blunt Sabalenka’s returns. 2. Backhand Redirect: Sabalenka’s heavy cross-court forehand feeds Gauff’s backhand. If the American can redirect that pace down the line, she can open up the court and draw errors. 3. Return Depth: Sabalenka has faced break points in only 11 percent of her service games this tournament. Gauff must land deep returns to force the top seed into extra balls. WHAT’S AT STAKE • First Roland-Garros crown and second Grand Slam title for Gauff • Potential climb to WTA No. 1 if she wins the trophy and Sabalenka fails to defend 1,600 ranking points from last year’s semifinal run • First American women’s champion in Paris since Serena Williams in 2015 HOW TO WATCH The women’s final begins at 3 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET) and airs live on NBC in the United States, streaming on Peacock and Tennis Channel Plus. Internationally, Eurosport, beIN Sports, and the tournament’s OTT platform, Roland-Garros TV, provide coverage. QUOTES FROM THE CONTENDERS Gauff: “I’ve grown so much since my first final here in 2022. The nerves are still there, but now I know how to use them.” Sabalenka: “Coco’s defense forces you to hit one more ball, sometimes two. I’ll need to stay patient and trust my power.” With newfound poise and a Parisian crowd firmly in her corner, Gauff stands one win away from engraving her name on the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup and cementing her status as the future—and present—of American tennis.