PARIS – The biggest difference that Coco Gauff sees between the player who lost his first Grand Chelem final at the Open de France 2022 at 18, and the one who will play again for the trophy at 21, this time against N ° 1 Aryna Sabalenka, is the way in which she considers the importance of the occasion.
Three years ago at Roland-Garros, Gauff made his debut on this kind of scene and with this kind of price at play. It was as if the result meant everything, a burden that was a lot at the time and made it nervous.
Now, GAUFF, classified n ° 2, says that it understands “how tiny the result is in the scheme of things.
“Everyone is dealing with much bigger things in life than losing a final,” said the American after defeating a 361st French French entrance, Loïs Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals.
“I am sure that there are hundreds of players who would kill to win or lose a final, so knowing that (fact) realize how lucky and privileged to be in this position,” said Gauff. “At the beginning, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and, you know, the sun was still rising the next day. … Whatever the result, the sun will always rise.”
Here is another key difference: today’s gauff is a champion of the Grand Slam. She won US Open 2023; His opponent in this final turned out to be Sabalenka.
“I’m just remembering to feel,” said Gauff, “as if I got my breath at the match point.”
Their head-to-head series is equal to 5-5 entering the first match n ° 1 against n ° 2 in a female final of the French Open since Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova in 2023.
Sabalenka beat Gauff at his last meeting, which came to the Madrid Open in May on the type of red clay used in Roland-Garros. Gauff is therefore well aware of the many talents of Sabalenka, who were fully exposed during a 7-6 victory (1), 4-6, 6-0 in the semi-finals on the triple reigning champion IGA Swiatek.
“She can offer big blows and big winners in almost all areas of the court,” said Gauff about 27 -year -old Belarus. “She is also a fighter. She will stay in the match, whatever the scoring.”
After being pushed to a third set by Swiatek, who won 26 games in a follow -up to the French Open, Sabalenka was almost perfect on the section.
Even Sabalenka called the unbalanced nature of this last set “shocking for me”.
She did not make a single uncompromising error; Swiatek had 12.
“The pace was sound (was) super fast,” said Swiatek. “It was simply difficult to participate in any rally.”
Sabalenka resumed the upper classification of Swiatek last October and stayed there. Sabalenka has 40-6 this season with three titles and, while its three main championships all came on hard grounds – to the openings of Australia 2023 and 2024 and the US 2024 Open – The work it has put to improve clay is clearly paid.
“I can go flat. I can (play) with the rotation. I can go back in defense,” said Sabalenka. “This is what works best on Clay’s courtyard for me.”
The truth is that, whatever the surface, Sabalenka always seems to be the most comfortable when it strikes the ball as hard as possible.
Her high -risk style offers a contrast to Gauff, who has made an effort to be more aggressive with her forehand, but is generally at her best when she has a stroke of access to opponents after she can reach everything with her speed, her instinct and her defense.
“She’s going to go out swinging,” said Gauff. “I just have to expect this and do my best to counter it.”
