“Actually, when you guys were chanting her name, I was saying my name to myself – just to kind of psych myself up.” A confident Coco Gauff revealed in the post-match interview at Court Philippe-Chatrier after besting local favorite and French Open sensation Lois Boisson in the semifinal encounter. Gauff showed her strength against Boisson and the huge crowd behind her. The 21-year-old stood her ground, without feeling an ounce of stress, and eventually emerged victorious. It was a comfortable win, too, at 6-1, 6-2, as the American youngster soaked in the pressure, handling it brilliantly. Result? She’s now in her second Roland Garros final after three years. As she gears up for the epic clash against Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff’s coach has come forward while reflecting on one of her “greatest” strengths as a player.
For the uninitiated, Gauff’s SF opponent instantly emerged as a potential title contender after pulling off two big upsets. Firstly, Boisson ousted American world No.3 Jessica Pegula in the fourth round. Proving that it wasn’t a fluke, she then went on to beat teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinal stage. In both these encounters, the home crowd backed her up while building pressure on the opponents, especially on Andreeva, who was even booed by the French fans. In a post-match conference, she revealed, “I knew it would be like this. In the first set, I think I managed it pretty well. I didn’t really pay attention to that. Obviously, with nerves and pressure it became a little harder.”
But that wasn’t the case with Gauff at all. After conquering Boisson, she revealed about tackling the French crowd, “How I managed it? I was mentally prepared before the match. I knew during the match it was going to be 99 percent for her but I just tried to block it out.” Looking at the phenomenal performance and efforts by Gauff in the semis, her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel was left impressed. He also touched on the fact that the young player has lately become highly stable when it comes to the mental level. “One of her greatest strengths is her mentality.” He added, “She never gives up. She often makes the difference thanks to her strength of character.”
Roaring to the final #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/59rUJSWy6a
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2025
Taking into consideration her overall form in the 2025 season, one can imagine how much she’s regained her confidence. More than a month ago, she was struggling to even clear the first round in many WTA events. However, arriving on clay proved to be a game-changer. After reaching the QF stage in Stuttgart, she succeeded in reaching back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome. And now, with a third-straight final appearance in a month, she’s appearing unstoppable.
Faurel added, “Now everything is clear in her mind, and that’s why she’s winning a lot of matches. But none of them are easy. In Madrid and Rome, she lost the first set in her opening match. She could have gone out early and people would have said again, ‘Coco can’t win a match,’”
However, now the situation is different as the American looks to be a potential winner against Sabalenka. So, how’s she preparing for the big day?
Coco Gauff exudes confidence ahead of the French Open final
Coco Gauff‘s last appearance in the French Open final didn’t go down well. Back in 2022, Iga Swiatek outplayed her easily with a comfortable score line of 6-1, 6-3. This time, however, there’s no Swiatek. The Pole, who won the last three titles at Roland Garros, had to bow down against Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday.
The World No.1 ousted the five-time slam queen with a score line of 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 to enter her maiden final in Paris. Similar to Gauff, she’s eager to lift the Suzanne Lenglen trophy on Saturday. So what’s going on in Gauff’s mind regarding her arch rival? “Obviously, I’m playing Aryna (Sabalenka), it’s going to be a tough match. Overall, I’m really proud of myself. There’s a lot more work to do. I’m just going to enjoy this one and then tomorrow start the preparation for the final,” reported the Roland Garros website on June 5. Speaking of the H2H record, it’s currently leveled at 5-5 between the two.
The 2024 WTA Finals winner made it evident that she’s not stressed about the result. “Whatever happens, happens, and knowing that I put the best effort forward,” reported WTA’s website on Friday. In case Gauff ends up winning, the 21-year-old will become the youngest American to lift the French Open trophy since 2002. Back then, 23-time slam queen Serena Williams achieved the feat after besting her elder sister Venus in the final (7-5, 6-3).
What are your thoughts on Gauff’s prospects in the epic summit clash against Sabalenka? Let us know in the comments below.
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