Gauff and Sabalenka face off in French Open final

For the first time in seven years, the top two women's players will meet in a Grand Slam final. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will face off at the French Open.

A new women's singles champion will be crowned. World number one Sabalenka seeks her fourth major title. Second-ranked Gauff aims for her second title.

Gauff won the US Open in 2023. She was runner-up in Paris three years ago. Sabalenka is a two-time Australian Open winner and last year's New York champion. This is her first Roland Garros final.

The pair have five wins each from ten previous meetings. They will compete on Court Philippe Chatrier. The winner receives €2.5 million (£2.1 million) and 2,000 ranking points.

Sabalenka and Gauff faced different challenges in their semi-finals. Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek's 26-match winning streak with a three-set victory. Gauff defeated French wildcard Lois Boisson in straight sets.

Sabalenka shows remarkable consistency at this level. This is her third consecutive major singles final. She is the first woman to achieve this since Serena Williams nine years ago.

This year, Sabalenka has competed in ten tournaments, reaching seven finals. She leads the WTA Tour with 40 wins out of 46 matches.

Gauff continues to emerge as a strong player on clay courts. The 21-year-old aims for her first title of the season. She is the youngest woman to reach finals at Madrid, Rome, and the French Open this year.

With her run to the Roland Garros final, Gauff has also become the youngest player to reach 70 Grand Slam wins since Maria Sharapova in 2007.

In their head-to-head record, there is nothing separating Sabalenka and Gauff. Each has one win at majors; Gauff won at the US Open while Sabalenka won their Australian Open semi-final.

Both players have one win on clay as well; Gauff won in Italy while Sabalenka won recently in Madrid. That victory may give Sabalenka an edge since she has won three of their last four meetings.

Half of their encounters have gone to three sets, raising expectations for Saturday's match-up.

Known for her powerful hitting, Sabalenka has been seen as a hard-court specialist throughout her career. All three of her major titles were won on that surface.

However, she adapts her game well against opponents like Swiatek by keeping key points short and accurate.

When asked about winning the French Open, Sabalenka said it would mean everything to her team and herself: "Almost my whole life I've been told [clay] is not my thing."

Gauff knows what to expect from Sabalenka but overcoming that challenge will be tough for her. She must defend well against Sabalenka's power while trying to create longer rallies.

Holding serve and minimizing double faults are crucial for Gauff’s strategy against Sabalenka’s pressure game.

"She's going to come out aggressive," Gauff said about Sabalenka's approach. "I just have to expect that."

Later on Saturday, British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will play in the men's doubles final against Spain's Marcel Granollers and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.