Coco Gauff barely broke a sweat as she rolled into the French Open final on Thursday, crushing French wildcard Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in a dominant performance that left little room for drama.
The 21-year-old American, seeded No. 2, showed no mercy on the biggest stage of Boisson’s young career. With the Parisian crowd hoping for another miracle from their hometown hero, Gauff had other plans. She controlled the match from start to finish, using her speed, power, and smart shot selection to completely dismantle the unseeded Boisson.
Lois Boisson may not have lifted the trophy, but she certainly won hearts. Coming into the French Open ranked No. 361 in the world and playing her first Grand Slam singles tournament, the 21-year-old Frenchwoman became the talk of Roland Garros after stunning world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to reach the semifinals.
But on Thursday, the magic wore off.
Boisson struggled to keep up with Gauff’s pace and precision, particularly on her backhand, which Gauff ruthlessly attacked throughout the match. Though Boisson had a brief moment of hope in the second set—managing to break back and level the score—Gauff slammed the door shut with another break and didn’t look back.
This isn’t new territory for Coco Gauff. She first reached the French Open final in 2022 and made the semifinals last year, only to be stopped both times by Iga Swiatek, the current queen of clay. But this time, there will be no Swiatek in the final. Instead, Gauff faces a different kind of challenge: world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
“I’ve been working towards this moment ever since I joined the tour,” Gauff said earlier in the week. And now, she’s one match away from winning her first title at Roland Garros.
In the other semifinal, Aryna Sabalenka delivered a powerful statement of her own. She took down Swiatek in a hard-fought battle—7-6, 4-6, 6-0—finally reaching her first French Open final.
Sabalenka, already a three-time Grand Slam champion (twice in Australia and once at the US Open), has proved she’s just as dangerous on clay as she is on hard courts. And she’s coming into the final with confidence after beating Gauff 6-3, 7-6 in Madrid just a few weeks ago.
But Gauff has her own recent win over Sabalenka—she beat her 7-6, 6-3 in the WTA Finals last fall. With the head-to-head now tied at five matches each, Saturday’s final promises to be an all-out battle between two of the best players in the world.
For Gauff, it’s a shot at redemption. She already has a US Open title under her belt from last year—where she beat Sabalenka in the final—but winning on the clay courts of Paris would be especially sweet after coming so close in past years.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is chasing her fourth Grand Slam title and her first at Roland Garros, which would only cement her place as one of the most dominant players on the tour right now.
Both women have the weapons, the grit, and the history. Now, it’s just a matter of who can hold their nerve when it counts most.
Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka. No. 2 vs. No. 1. A rematch of the US Open final. A clash of power, speed, and mental toughness.
All eyes will be on Roland Garros this Saturday as these two stars take the court. And if their history is any indication, fans should be ready for a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat showdown.
