Mary Joe Fernandez thinks she knows the exact reason why Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final

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Coco Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion, having picked up her maiden Roland Garros title.

The 21-year-old traveled to Paris with title ambitions, entering the French Open as the number two seed.

Making her way through to the final, Gauff took on number one seed Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s championship match.

After dropping the first set in a close tiebreaker 6-7 [5-7], Gauff fought back to beat Sabalenka in three sets, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Adding a second Grand Slam to her trophy cabinet, having won in New York two years earlier, Gauff proved why many consider her to be a future world number one.

Speaking after the match, an American WTA legend explained how Gauff won her second Major title.

Mary Joe Fernandez says Coco Gauff’s ‘composure’ won her the French Open title

Former world number four Mary Joe Fernandez gave her verdict on Gauff’s Roland Garros win, talking to TNT Sports after the match.

“So much credit to Coco Gauff. I really believe the composure won her this Grand Slam title,” she said.

“She dealt with the conditions really well, she never let frustration settle in, even after coming back in the first set.

“She was leading in the tiebreak, and she just went back to work. The fact that in these conditions, in the last two sets, she only had 15 unforced errors is incredible, and she was trying to hit the ball bigger and be more aggressive with it.

• Coco Gauff’s total unforced errors – 30
• Aryna Sabalenka’s total unforced errors – 70

“Mentally, she showed so much maturity, and she deserves this title. She has had a great clay court season.”

Gauff certainly has had a ‘great clay court season’, reaching three finals, picking up the biggest title available on the surface.

Former British number one Tim Henman agreed, as he praised Gauff’s ‘mental resilience’.

“That mental resilience in these difficult conditions won the day. You have got to take into account playing someone like Sabalenka, who was just hitting the ball so aggressively, she just kept fighting her off and making her hit that extra ball,” he said.

“The unforced error count from Sabalenka just rose and rose and rose, and also that frustration.

“Inevitably, you are going to get frustrated at times, but it’s how you play the next point, and that is where the frustration was just continuing to boil under the skin of Sabalenka, and it ended up costing her in the end.”

Sabalenka was visibly frustrated with the windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier as unforced errors sprayed from her racket.

Gauff, on the other hand, adapted well, securing her sixth career win over the Belarusian star.

Coco Gauff takes charge of her rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka

Heading into Saturday’s final, Gauff and Sabalenka were tied at 5-5 through their first ten career meetings on the WTA Tour.

Picking up win number six, the American now has the advantage over Sabalenka, as we approach the second half of the 2025 season.

Gauff and Sabalenka are, however, yet to play one another on grass, as fans anticipate a potential clash between the pair at Wimbledon.

Likely entering the event as the top two seeds, there is a real possibility they face off in a second consecutive Grand Slam final when they head to the All England Club.

Of the two, Sabalenka has enjoyed more success than Gauff at Wimbledon over the years, qualifying for the last four on her two previous visits to the tournament, whereas the American has yet to reach the quarterfinals.

Only time will tell how Sabalenka and Gauff will perform at Wimbledon in 2025, but it will certainly be worth looking out for when the tournament begins on Monday, June 30.