Coco Gauff advances to her second final at Roland Garros after defeating Loïs Boisson with a score of 6-1 and 6-2 this Thursday, ending the surprising and eventful participation of the French tennis player.
This victory for Gauff, who is the second seed, leads her to an exciting final against Aryna Sabalenka, ranked number one, next Saturday.
Sabalenka Chasing Her Fourth Major Title
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, earned the right to compete for her fourth title by defeating Iga Swiatek and ending her streak of 26 consecutive victories at the French Open. Sabalenka’s semifinal victory, with a score of 7-6 (1), 4-6, and 6-0, prevented Swiatek from becoming the first woman to win four consecutive championships in Paris in the Open era (since 1968).This final will be only the second between the world’s number 1 and 2 at the French Open in the last 30 years, and the first at any Grand Slam since Caroline Wozniacki (number 2) defeated Simona Halep (number 1) at the 2018 Australian Open.
Furthermore, it represents a rematch of the 2023 US Open final, where Gauff defeated Sabalenka and won her first major title at the age of 19. Gauff was runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022. Boisson, ranked 361st in the world, had overcome Jessica Pegula (number 3) and Mirra Andreeva (number 6) in previous rounds, but was outmatched by Gauff. Despite the defeat, the 22-year-old player will take home a prize of 690,000 euros ($789,567), a significant achievement in her career.Playing against a local favorite at Roland Garros, in front of a crowd known for its fervor, can be a challenge even for the most experienced players, but Gauff was prepared.
This is the first time I’ve played against a French player here. I was mentally prepared for the support to be almost entirely for her, so I tried to block it out.
Coco Gauff
Addressing the crowd, he added:
When they said her name, I said my name to encourage myself.
Coco Gauff
On Thursday, Gauff’s forehand was solid, her backhand sometimes hypnotic, and her serve consistent throughout the match.
Boisson, on the other hand, made an unusual number of unforced errors, as her opponent repeatedly forced her to take more risks. Gauff quickly took a 4-0 lead and never looked back, achieving a break to zero in the second set, right after Boisson broke her serve for the first time. The American maintained a streak of eight points won, and upon switching sides with a score of 5-2, Boisson covered her head with her towel and hit herself in a sign of frustration.Boisson, the first Frenchwoman to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals since Marion Bartoli in 2011, said goodbye by sending another long forehand.It’s always the plan to start strong. I knew it was important today. She’s an incredible player. She proved to be one of the best in the world, especially on clay. I’m sure we’ll have more battles in the future.
Coco Gauff
