The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    'I‘m still in shock, honestly can't find...': Coco Gauff after winning maiden French Open crown

    Synopsis

    Coco Gauff secured her first French Open title, overcoming Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set match. After losing the first set, Gauff displayed resilience to win 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. This victory marks her second Grand Slam title and makes her the first American since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the French Open.

    Coco Gauff
    Coco Gauff became the first American player to lift the trophy since Serena Williams in 2015. (Twitter Photo)
    “I’m still in shock, honestly can’t find the words,” said an emotional Coco Gauff after clinching her maiden French Open crown at the Roland Garros in Paris on Saturday (June 7).

    The 21-year-old American produced a fearless display, after losing the opening set, to beat the top seed and world number one Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in just over two and half hours.

    She clinched her first Grand Slam title on the red clay and her second Major championship after the 2023 US Open. Before her success in Paris, she had experienced defeats in the finals of clay court tournaments in both Madrid and Rome.

    By achieving this milestone, Gauff also became the first American since Serena Williams in 2015 to secure this prestigious trophy. Her remarkable ability to clinch victories after losing the opening set has been evident in both her major championships, including her triumph against Sabalenka at the US Open two years ago.

    Never give up on your dreams: Gauff



    Taking to social media platform X, the young American spoke her heart out filled with emotions.

    "wow. this means so much to me truly….french open champion. i worked so hard for this moment and for it to have happened is insane. thank you God and thank you everyone. this means the world…. I ‘m still in shock honestly can’t find the words but all I can say for now is just thank you and never give up on your dreams," her post read.


    "Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it," the American world number two said between tears after the victory.

    "I was going through a lot of things when I lost here three years ago," Gauff, who lost to Iga Swiatek in the final in 2022, said.

    Sabalenka terms her performance 'terrible'



    Sabalenka was visibly heartbroken after her defeat to Gauff in the final. The Belarusian star broke down in tears as she described her performance as 'terrible'.

    Following her loss to Gauff in the championship match, Sabalenka was visibly heartbroken. She broke down in tears while expressing her disappointment, describing her performance as 'terrible'.

    “Honestly guys, this one hurts so much. Especially after such a tough two weeks — playing great tennis, and then in these terrible conditions, to show such terrible tennis in the final, it really hurts. But it’s ok,” Sabalenka said while fighting back tears and holding the runner-up trophy.


    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

    (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates.

    ...more

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

    (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates.

    ...more
    The Economic Times

    Stories you might be interested in