Tears of pain to tears of joy - Gauff's journey to glory

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Three years ago, nan image of a distraught Coco Gauff crying nether a towel was 1 of nan rawest moments from a one-sided French Open women's final.

Still a teenager, Gauff trim a lonely fig arsenic she sobbed connected her chair successful nan aftermath of a sadistic straight-set conclusion by Poland's Iga Swiatek.

Gauff vowed to travel backmost stronger - and she has.

Winning nan maiden Grand Slam trophy of her profession astatine nan 2023 US Open to fulfil her prodigious talent was nan first step.

And successful Paris, nan American world number 2 demonstrated her gritty mindset erstwhile again, fighting backmost from a group down to hit world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka and claim nan Roland Garros title.

Reflecting connected her 2022 defeat, Gauff, 21, said: "It was a reliable time.

"I was doubting myself, wondering if I would ever beryllium capable to circumnavigate it, particularly my mentality going into that match.

"I was crying earlier that last and I was truthful nervous. I was like, if I can't grip this, really americium I going to grip it again?

"I conscionable felt really fresh today."

Gauff is 1 of nan fewer players who genuinely transcends nan sport.

Film head Spike Lee flew complete from New York to beryllium courtside for nan final, while Gauff namechecked rapper Tyler, The Creator and Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas for inspiring her to victory.

Moments aft she hit Sabalenka, Gauff pulled a scrap of insubstantial from her bag.

On it, she had written 'I will triumph French Open 2025’ arsenic galore times arsenic she could fresh connected a page successful her notebook.

The inspiration came from Thomas, who did a akin manifestation earlier her 200m triumph astatine past year's Paris Olympics.

Gauff said a video of Thomas talking astir nan process reappeared connected her TikTok nan nighttime earlier nan final.

"It came connected my 'For You' page again and I felt it was meant to be," added Gauff.

"I wrote it past nighttime and was looking astatine myself successful nan mirror, trying to instil it successful my brain, truthful I had that belief.

"I didn't cognize if it would activity aliases not - but it did."

There was a clip erstwhile superior questions were being asked Gauff's mentality.

With her 2nd service liable to cough up double faults, and her forehand identified arsenic a weakness, location were debates whether nan issues were down to her mentality aliases method deficiencies.

Some self-doubt appeared arsenic precocious arsenic March, pinch her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel saying nan brace "laid it down connected nan line" aft a last-16 exit astatine nan Miami Open.

Since then, she has won 18 of 21 matches and reached 3 successive finals successful Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.

"In Madrid and Rome, she mislaid nan first group successful her opening match. She could person gone retired early and group would person said again, 'Coco can't triumph a match'," Faurel told nan French Open website., external

"One of her top strengths is her mentality. She ne'er gives up.

"She often makes nan quality acknowledgment to her spot of character."

This expertise was evident during Saturday's last successful Paris.

Playing successful a testing wind, and trailing nan ascendant subordinate connected nan WTA Tour, Gauff refused to buckle.

She fought backmost from 4-1 down to time off nan first group hanging successful nan balance, past improved further successful nan adjacent 2 sets arsenic Sabalenka became progressively frustrated.

"Mentally location is cipher stronger successful nan women's game," British erstwhile world number 4 Greg Rusedski, who was analysing nan lucifer for BBC Radio 5 Live, said.

"Her forehand wasn't firing astatine times and she looked for illustration she was going to get blown distant successful nan opening set, but she recovered a measurement to get done it."

When Gauff first arrived arsenic a 15-year-old arena astatine Wimbledon successful 2019, she played pinch complete freedom.

Like each young players, difficulties followed arsenic she embarked connected a full-time master career.

Gauff's tally to nan US Open title was helped by her squad telling her to trust nan earthy materials she had.

But nan maiden Grand Slam singles title did not unfastened nan floodgates.

Spanish coach Pere Riba near Gauff's squad soon aft her New York triumph, while Brad Gilbert - a towering characteristic who led Andre Agassi to six awesome titles - departed astatine nan extremity of past season.

That led to nan return of Faurel, a Frenchman who coached her earlier her Wimbledon breakthrough.

Gauff did not spell beyond a quarter-final successful nan first 4 months of this season, starring to a heart-to-heart pinch Faurel aft Miami.

"We had to alteration thing up," said Gauff.

The brace talked astir really she needed to amended her service and play much aggressively erstwhile she could.

When Gauff has made much than 60% of her first serves against Sabalenka, she has won - and she landed 63% successful what was her 5th profession triumph complete her.

"She mislaid her measurement a bit," Faurel added.

"She's not a machine. It's besides partially our responsibility - location were moments erstwhile we astir apt didn't do nan correct things.

"Now everything is clear successful her mind, and that's why she's winning a batch of matches."