Tennis
French Open
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Updated 2m ago
Aryna Sabalenka is leading Coco Gauff in the 2025 French Open women’s singles final.
The world’s top-ranked player won an opening set tiebreak 7-5.
Gauff (2) is attempting to win her second major title after her 2023 US Open triumph. Sabalenka (1) is looking for her fourth major and her first on the red clay in Paris.
Fair to say this has been quite an odd final so far. There's a lot of tension on both sides, and neither have been able to play at their best level for long.
Gauff has done a great job at resetting after losing that tie-break, and has been solid enough this set against a Sabalenka who appeared to suffer a bit of a drop in levels after that 77-minute opener.
Feels like the minds of most here are wandering towards the very likely-looking decider.
Many of these have not actually been ‘unforced’ but Sabalenka's 48 unforced errors to 26 winners gives an indication of her scratchy performance so far.
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Gauff 6-7(5), 4-2* Sabalenka
Fine shot from Gauff at 0-15 down, then Sabalenka goes long and her shoulders slump. 30-15.
Brilliant zingy cross-court forehand forces Gauff long, 30-all, and Sabalenka will want to attack this Gauff service game from here.
Ordinary shot from the American, Sabalenka looks really well placed to put it away but she nets, badly. 15 unforced errors in this second set to Gauff's four.
A drop shot into the net keeps the Belarusian alive at deuce, though. Gauff slides long and she has sleepwalked to break point down here. Wake up, Coco!
She heeds the call. Then an ace for advantage herself… oh no. She goes aerial for a cheeky drop shot, hopping off the ground, and it's into the net. Another little jump, lucky to get over the net, and she nets the backhand down the line.
She says: “Why? Why?” to her box. Good question, Coco, can't answer that.
Another break point to Sabalenka, who doesn't really deserve the break. Then Sabalenka thrashes it into the net. Which player wants to win this game?!
One more error in this low-quality game and Sabalenka does secure the break. Pressure ratcheting up on Gauff.
Gauff 6-7(5), *4-1 Sabalenka
Sabalenka not quite finding her range. 0-30 down. Next point critical. She makes a noise akin to ‘Euuuaourghhj’ as she miscues it long for 0-40 and gives up three break points.
Sabalenka second serve, and Gauff obliterates it back past her.
Gauff a double break up and in total control of this second set.
The first was nearly an hour and 20 minutes long. In the second, it's 4-1 and we're only 18 minutes in!
Gauff 6-7(5), 3-1* Sabalenka
Sabalenka slides into the net but her drop shot in response to Gauff's drop shot is soft, too soft. Frustration writ large across Sabalenka's face.
The calm and steady Gauff goes 30-15, then 40-15 with a robust serve out wide, return wide.
Good serve but Sabalenka's return is so powerful, Gauff is on the back foot and shoves it long.
But it's a hold. Gauff playing well.
Gauff 6-7(5), *2-1 Sabalenka
Sabalenka, the top seed, world No. 1 and slight favorite, is a bit frustrated and a bit inconsistent in this set (and today), and she loses her eighth point in a row to go 0-15 down.
15-all, though, then 30-15 as she comes to the net, stretches profoundly to her right and flicks the ball past Gauff stylishly. Right in the corner.
40-15 with a booming ace, and after the umpire advises the Spider-Cam not to move, she holds. On the board in the second set, though Gauff is still a break up.
Gauff 6-7(5), 2-0* Sabalenka
A hold to love.
Aryna Sabalenka puffs her cheeks out.
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As I mentioned earlier, the tennis court comes to life here at the French Open.
In Paris in the springtime, especially when the roof is off and the outside conditions swirl around the players, it's an unpredictable dance of sun, rain, wind and brick dust on the red clay of Roland Garros.
We can see both players affected by it out there today.
GO FURTHER
Tennis on clay courts: The unpredictable dance of sun, rain, wind and brick dust at Roland Garros
Sabalenka fights through. Gauff did what she is the best in the world at, which is neutralizing an opponent's power and letting them come undone when they're just on the verge of doing so.
The question is whether or not that's enough to win a major final. It was enough against Sabalenka at the 2023 U.S. Open: she won the first set, then melted in the face of Gauff's relentless and 24,000 U.S. Open fans cheering for their player.
But this isn't New York, and it isn't the same Sabalenka.
Gauff, at least so far, hasn't shown that she can reliably steal points by flipping them from defense to attack. In that set, she kind of didn't need to, because the defense wore Sabalenka down and she started to miss balls she would normally make in her sleep.
That's the power someone like Gauff has over her opponents. But to really put Sabalenka away, players have to be able to make a kill a time or two.
Gauff 6-7(5), *1-0 Sabalenka
First point of the second set to the woman who took the first, Aryna Sabalenka, but Coco Gauff wins the second point as Sabalenka crashes a mishit down into the net.
15-30 after a skilful winner, but Gauff rather lets her off the hook with a backhand return dragged too far wide for 30-all. Gauff break point as Sabalenka overcooks a central shot long. First serve out…
But Gauff's attempt at something a little different, a rhythm-disrupter to change up the tempo, sees her dump a drop shot in the net. Deuce. Brilliant redirection from Sabalenka, precision as well as power, twisting her torso to steer the ball into the top-right corner.
Advantage, back to deuce as Sabalenka's drop shot is errant and she pinches her forehead in self-chastisement. More venting to her box as Sabalenka goes long, more than five minutes into the opening game of the second set.
36 unforced errors from Sabalenka and she's up in this match, at least for now. She's a break down now though as Gauff cracks a forehand winner!
Gauff 6-7(5) Sabalenka
And Sabalenka takes it! Another punishing rally, another gentle caress over the net we don't typically associate from Sabalenka, and the sliding Gauff can't get there!
First set to the top seed. If Coco Gauff is to win the French Open, she needs to do it in three sets.
Gauff 6-6 (*5-6) Sabalenka
Clever from the top seed.
Sabalenka, grunting with exertion, cracks it into the corner, Gauff scrapes it out, Sabalenka sprints forward and looks for all the world like she will put loads of power on it, but pulls out at the last moment and just plops it delicately out of Gauff's grasp.
Gauff goes 5-3 up as she turns Sabalenka around at the net, predicts which way the around-the-back forehand will come, then volleys it away. Exactly 50 points each in the first 100 of this match!
Then Sabalenka crunches the ball back for 4-5, and we are back on serve in this breaker. A rocket of a backhand down the line beyond Gauff's grasp, five-all.
We can get our teeth into a long rally now, which Sabalenka wins it with an acute volley at the net! Set point…
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Gauff 6-6 (4-2*) Sabalenka
Sabalenka eventually outlasts Gauff in a rally to get on the board, but Gauff's serve plus one is excellent, as she crouches down and stabs at a middling return.
It flies away for a low, flat backhand winner.
They swap ends.
Who needs this set more?
I would have said Gauff 100 per cent pre-match, but Sabalenka would have a job on her hands not to unravel if she lost it having had so many leads.
Gauff 6-6 (*3-0) Sabalenka
First point Gauff, Sabalenka takes the serve but slashes wildly with the backhand and it's well wide. 2-0 down. Then 3-0 as her accuracy is out the window.
Gauff, the epitome of consistency, just watching her opponent's precision melt away into the Paris air.
She takes the serve now, too.
Gauff 6-6 (*0-0) Sabalenka
That's good from Sabalenka, who comes into the net and showcases her doubles technique, deft hands to cutely volley it away for 15-0. 11 points won at the net to Gauff's two, which is a significant difference.
Watch out, Aryna! She groans after an errant backhand, her 15th unforced error on that side to Gauff's miserly four. 15-30. Break point Gauff now as Sabalenka rushes forward but nets.
Gauff long, not enough conviction, but still has a crucial break point at 30-40. Gauff pushes it up high, surely Sabalenka will smash it away, she makes decent contact, Gauff in the corner…
And she sends a ripper of a high passing shot down the line and into the corner! Tiebreak to end this first set…
There was a stretch of three or four games in which Sabalenka completely lost confidence in her variety and started trying to beat Gauff in a baseline endurance contest, which is just about the one meta in this matchup that she has no chance of winning.
After that aforementioned break of serve, she's found a bit more confidence on her drop shot and touch.
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I said big moments, I wasn't quite expecting that level of psychodrama.
Sabalenka misses two set points on her serve and is broken, but will get another chance to do it now after breaking again for 6-5.
Gauff 5-6* Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka too good on the drop shot. Even Coco Gauff can't get there. At 0-15, Sabalenka throws the kitchen sink at a backhand down the line and the umpire rules it is a millimetre out (HawkEye confirms).
It didn't need to be that good! With the wind swirling around Chatrier, you don't have to aim for the chalk. Low toss from Gauff, double fault, 15-30. What a wonderful point from both players!
Several net cords, several tricky slices, and Gauff ends the point with a sort-of jumping shovelled under-hand forehand that just dies and bounces so quickly. Gauff mistake, 30-40, Sabalenka break point.
The world No. 1 exhales heavily to slow her breathing. This could be the opportunity. Again, she forces it. The Hail Mary forehand return down the line marginally out. Deuce.
A really well disguised drop shot again from the surprisingly subtle Sabalenka and Gauff can't make it from deep behind the baseline. Break point No. 2 in this game…
Brilliant point. Great get from Gauff to her right, the American makes Sabalenka keep playing but she slings it perfectly away to break before throwing both her arms up in delight to elicit more noise from the crowd.
Again, Sabalenka to serve for the first set.
Gauff *5-5 Sabalenka
Sabalenka is really taking her time, bouncing the ball constantly as she waits for the wind to die down.
The top seed sends four or five shots over the net with flames on them, but Gauff keeps returning and Sabalenka's drop shot is weak and she jumps frustratedly before it hits the net.
Another break point Gauff, on her racket, and she whacks a return long, to which Sabalenka releases the tension by bellowing at the ground.
Sabalenka errs long, and Gauff — after overdoing the last return — is over-tentative and Sabalenka treats it with the disdain it deserves. Deuce and nearly nine minutes in this 10th game of the first set.
Incredible defence from Gauff, right to left and finally the shot is central, straight at Sabalenka at the net. But she rushes the volley, through the shot too early, and finds the net! Big serve, then serve plus one is a booming backhand.
From another deuce, Sabalenka with a vanishingly rare mishit, off the edge of the racket I think, and it's Gauff's fifth break point more than 12 minutes into the match.
Gauff, the human backboard, just keeps returning and Sabalenka goes long! Clenched fist and we are back on serve at five games apiece!
