Gauff and Alcaraz win French Open final

Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz have been crowned as this year’s women’s and men’s singles champions after an eventful weekend at Roland Garros. 

21-year-old Gauff triumphed over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping three-set match, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.

This victory marked Gauff’s first Grand Slam title on clay and her second major singles title overall. Gauff’s journey to the trophy was not without doubt; in her victory speech on Court Philippe-Chatrier, she candidly admitted, “I didn’t think honestly that I could do.”

Sabalenka took the first set in a tight tiebreak, 7-6(7-5), after rallying from 1-4 down. However, Sabalenka’s game began to falter with unforced errors in the second set, allowing Gauff to seize control and win it 6-2. 

The final set was a tense battle, with both players exchanging breaks, but Gauff managed to hold her nerve and close it out 6-4. 

Gauff said after the match, “I was dealing with many challenges when I lost here three years ago. I’m just happy to be back.

After three finals, I suppose I achieved the most significant win. That’s what truly counts.” With the victory, Gauff becomes the first American woman to win Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.

On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz faced Jannik Sinner in what is being called one of the greatest Roland Garros finals ever. Sinner won the first two sets 6-4, 7-6(7-4), and even held three championship points in the fourth set. But Alcaraz saved all three match points and won the fourth set 7-6(7-3). 

The match went to a deciding fifth set tiebreak, where Alcaraz broke early and eventually prevailed 7-6(10-2) after a grueling five hours and 29 minutes, making it the longest final in French Open history, and the second longest grand slam final in the open era. 

Alcaraz, 22, claimed his fifth Grand Slam title, matching the age at which Rafael Nadal won his fifth Roland Garros trophy. The Spaniard also ended Sinner’s streak of 31 consecutive sets won in Grand Slams.