Coco Gauff pulled off another career-defining moment in Paris, lifting her second Grand Slam trophy at the 2025 French Open. She came back from a set down to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tense and thrilling final. The Belarusian took the first set in a nail-biting tie-break, but Gauff stormed back with a commanding 6-2 second set and sealed the title with a steady 6-4 third. But there was one French Open rule that she wasn’t aware of. Turns out, 3-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray was astonished too. What was it?
That win made her the first woman not named Iga Swiatek to win at Roland Garros since 2021. And it was poetic, considering Gauff’s emotional loss in the 2022 final to Swiatek, where she left the court in tears. This time, it was tears of joy as the 21-year-old held the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
Here’s where things got interesting. There’s a little-known French Open rule that even caught Coco Gauff by surprise. She only got to hold the real trophy for a short moment. As per Roland Garros tradition, the actual trophy stays at the tournament site. What the winners take home is a tiny replica. Gauff couldn’t help but laugh at the size of it. She shared the moment with fans on TikTok while flying back to the U.S. In the video, she showed off her miniature prize next to a Perrier bottle. “That’s how small it is,” she said, chuckling. “It’s the memories that matter most.”
Tennis: French Open Jun 7, 2025 Paris, FR Coco Gauff of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the womenÕs singles final against Aryna Sabalenka on day 14 at Roland Garros Stadium. Paris Roland Garros Stadium ENTER STATE FR, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSusanxMullanex 20250607_szo_au2_0340
The American tennis star even took the miniature trophy on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, proudly showing it off. That moment didn’t go unnoticed, Andy Murray saw the clip and backed Gauff’s take with a post of his own. “Surely the tennis majors can do a better job with the replica trophies?! They are tiny,” he wrote on Instagram. Even with three majors of his own, he didn’t realize how small the take-home versions were.
Murray, who officially retired from tennis at the 2024 Olympics, has had his own post-retirement journey. He joined Novak Djokovic’s coaching team in late 2024, but the stint didn’t last long. The two parted ways in May 2025 after just four tournaments together. Djokovic said he “couldn’t get more” out of the partnership. Still, there’s no bad blood. And the former British player is open to coaching again. Murray told BBC Sport’s Clare Balding, “I would do it again at some stage. I don’t think that will happen immediately.”
His comments came during the unveiling of the Andy Murray Arena at Queen’s Club on Monday, a new honor to mark his lasting impact on British tennis. Murray’s legacy includes three Grand Slam titles, with two of them won on the grass at Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff will need to channel that energy as she moves forward to the grass season. But another former British tennis player isn’t so sure about her chances.
Laura Robson doubtful of Coco Gauff’s chances at Wimbledon
While Coco Gauff made a name for herself on grass by beating Venus Williams as a 15-year-old in 2019, she hasn’t managed to break past the fourth round at Wimbledon since then. Her grass-court record stands at a solid 21-10, but there’s one stat she’s yet to change: she hasn’t won a grass-court title in 10 attempts.
Gauff begins her 2025 grass season at the Berlin Open starting June 15. She’ll need to defend 195 points from her Berlin run last year and 240 points from her Wimbledon campaign.
Not everyone’s convinced this will be her breakthrough grass year. Laura Robson, now the tournament director of the Queen’s Club Championship, which is back on the WTA tour after more than 50 years, shared her thoughts on Sky Sports. “I don’t know who is favorite in the women’s Wimbledon event. I would probably say [Aryna] Sabalenka because she’s done well there in the past, but for Coco [Gauff] it’s been a surface which hasn’t quite given her the results that the other Slams have,” she said.
Robson added, “Even though Gauff has made the fourth round three times, there’s not been that standout result, I’d say, so I think that leaves it quite open for some new faces to come in.”
Can Coco Gauff finally crack the grass code this summer? What do you think?
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