Coco Gauff defeats top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in 3 sets to win her first French Open title

PARIS — Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final for her second Grand Slam title.

The second-ranked Gauff made fewer mistakes in a contest that was full of tension and momentum swings to get the better of Sabalenka for the second time in a Grand Slam final. She also came from a set down to beat the Belarusian in the 2023 U.S. Open final.

Gauff raised the winners' trophy aloft, then kissed it several times. She held her hand over her heart when the U.S. national anthem played. She is the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.

She then thanked her parents for doing everything "from washing my clothes to keeping me grounded and giving me the belief that I can do it."

"You guys probably believe in me more than myself,'' Gauff said in her on-court speech.

It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years.

After Sabalenka sent a backhand wide on Gauff's second match point, the 21-year-old American fell onto her back, covering her face with both hands as she started to sob, then got up and held her hand over her mouth. She continued to sob as she patted the clay with her left hand.

Gauff greeted Sabalenka at the net with a warm hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed out with joy and relief, then got to her knees and crouched forward, continuing to cry as she savored the win.

She hugged later film director Spike Lee and celebrated with her entourage in her box, three years after she lost in her first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros.

In her on-court speech, she also added that the defeat in 2022 at the age of 18 put her in a ''dark place'' and then thanked the fans on Court-Philippe Chatrier, who were rooting mostly for her.

''The crowd really helped me today, you guys were cheering for me so hard and I don't know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd," she said. "But I appreciate you, guys.''

Sabalenka was in tears moments earlier when she made her speech. Struggling to find her words, she praised Gauff for being a ''fighter'' and said she deserved the win, but added that the windy conditions made for an error-strewn contest.

''This will hurt so much. Coco, congrats, in the tough conditions you were a better player than me," she said. ''Well done, great two weeks, and congrats on the second Grand Slam, it's well deserved.''

Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set. She made 70 altogether in the match, compared to 30 overall for Gauff.

Sabalenka was often frustrated during the first set, remonstrating and shouting at herself and frequently turning around to look at her team with an exasperated look on her face. She put her head on her hands a couple of times, and at one point raised her shoulders as if to say ''What's going on?''

The first set looked to be heading Gauff's way when she led 3-0 in the tiebreaker, but Sabalenka steadied herself and clinched it with a forehand volley at the net — an area where she dominated Gauff.

Gauff picked her spots better in the second set and the crowd cheered more loudly when her smash at the net leveled the match.

But Sabalenka started the deciding set strongly, sticking to her high-risk approach to hold her first service game.

Gauff responded by raising her level, winning a superb rally in the third game that drew loud cheers. After an intense exchange of drop shots, Gauff hit a lob that Sabalenka chased down before attempting a shot between her legs — only for Gauff to intercept it at the net and finish with a winner.

Gauff was consistent from the baseline and earned a break point which she converted when Sabalenka double-faulted, giving her a 2-1 lead. Sabalenka regained her composure, breaking back to level the match at 3-3.

She was broken again at love, however, and Gauff then held serve twice to claimed the title after a match that lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes.

Gauff now owns two French Open trophies after winning last year's women's doubles title.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis