Aryna Sabalenka has established herself as the WTA Tour’s best player.
Since 2023 she has won three Grand Slam titles and claimed the World number one ranking.
The Belarusian will aim for a fourth major crown when she takes on Coco Gauff in Saturday’s French Open final.
This marks the second time the pair will contest a Grand Slam final and the American is ready for the challenge of trying to defeat the top seed.
Coco Gauff explains why Aryna Sabalenka is the world’s best player
Aryna Sabalenka operates at a level of consistency that separates her from the rest of the WTA Tour players.
The 27-year-old has played in 10 tournaments so far this season, and she has reached the final in seven of them.
Sabalenka has claimed three titles in 2025 and she is aiming for a fourth at the French Open, but she will need to get past Gauff, who has not tasted victory this season since the United Cup in January.
The Belarusian is one of Gauff’s biggest rivals and she will need to produce her best tennis to give herself the best chance of victory. While discussing Sabalenka’s dominance, Gauff pointed to three reasons for her success.
“Obviously, her ball striking ability, she can hit big shots and winners in almost every part of the court, so I think her ball striking and also her mentality, she’s a fighter, stays in the game regardless of the score,” Gauff told reporters.
“I think her ball striking, her serve, and her mentality, and obviously there are many other things, but I would say those are the three main ones.”
Coco Gauff looks ahead to the French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka
Gauff is set to compete in her second French Open final and will aim to win the title for the first time.
Her rivalry with Sabalenka is locked at five wins apiece and they are the WTA’s top two ranked players in the game. They are the first players ranked in these positions since 2018 to compete in a Grand Slam.
Gauff lost her last match against Sabalenka in Madrid, and she explains what she has to do to reverse that result in Paris.
“I have to try to go for my shots and be aggressive. She has big hits, and she will come out aggressive, she will go all out,” Gauff said ahead of Saturday’s final.
“I think I have to expect that and do everything I can to counter it. In the matches I’ve played against her, we’ve had some ups and downs, some where I’ve won consecutive sets, and she the other way around.
“Anything can happen on Saturday, but I’m looking forward to it, and I’m also happy to face a world number 1.”
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