World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on world No 2 Coco Gauff with a maiden French Open singles title on the line this Saturday from 2pm.
Sabalenka and Gauff will be the first No 1 vs No 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years.
Sabalenka owns three Grand Slam titles while Gauff’s first Grand Slam title came via a win against the Belarusian in the 2023 US Open final.
They’ve split their 10 previous meetings although Sabalenka won their most recent encounter, on clay at the Madrid Open a month ago. “Anything can happen on Saturday,” said Gauff, who has been a fixture at every major stop on clay this spring by reaching the final in the Spanish capital and the Italian Open.
The 21-year-old, who can become the first American since Serena Williams in 2015 to lift the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup, says, she understands “how miniscule” the result Saturday is in the scheme of things.
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Highlights of Aryna Sabalenka against Coco Gauff in the Madrid Open final
“Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final,” she said after beating 361st-ranked French wild-card entry Los Boisson 6-1 6-2 in the semi-finals.
“I’m sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that (makes) me realise how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position,” said a philosophical Gauff. “At first, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and, you know, the sun still rose the next day. Regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.”
Sabalenka took over top spot in the rankings from Swiatek last October and ended the Pole’s 26-match unbeaten streak at Roland-Garros and bid for a record fourth consecutive trophy with a 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0 win in the semi-finals.
She is 40-6 this season with three titles and, while her three major championships all came on hard courts – at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and the 2024 US Open – the work she’s put in to improve on clay is clearly paying off.
“Almost like [my] whole life, I’ve been told [clay] is not my thing, and then I didn’t have any confidence. And in the past I don’t know how many years, we’ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay. If I’ll be able to get this trophy, it’s just going to mean the world for us,” said Sabalenka, who will remain at No 1 in the rankings win or lose.
“I can go flat. I can play with the spin. I can go back and play in defence. That’s what works the best on the clay court for me.”
The truth is, regardless of the surface, Sabalenka still appears to be most comfortable when she hits the ball hard.
Her high-risk style offers a contrast to Gauff, who has been making an effort to be more aggressive with her forehand but usually is at her best when she is making opponents hit shot after shot because she can get to everything with her speed, instincts and defence.
“She’s going to come out swinging,” Gauff said. “I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.”
How did Sabalenka and Gauff reach the final?
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Gauff famously clinched the US Open title against Sabalenka in 2023
Sabalenka is the first woman to reach the singles final in three consecutive Grand Slam events (2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open and French Open) since Serena Williams (Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, all in 2016).
Sabalenka’s run to the final
1R: bt Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-02R: bt Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-13R: bt Olga Danilovic 6-2 6-34R: bt [16] Amanda Anisimova 7-5 6-3QF: bt [8] Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3) 6-3SF: bt [5] Iga Swiatek 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0
Gauff, 21, is the youngest player to reach the finals at WTA 1000 Madrid, WTA 1000 Rome and French Open in a single calendar year.
Gauff’s run to the final
1R: bt Olivia Gadecki 6-2 6-22R: bt [Q] Tereza Valentova 6-2 6-43R: bt Marie Bouzkova 6-1 7-6 (7-3)4R: bt [20] Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0 7-5QF: bt [7] Madison Keys 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-1SF: bt [WC] Lois Boisson 6-1 6-2
Their overall head-to-head is deadlocked at 5-5. They are 1-1 at Grand Slam events, and 1-1 on clay.
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