Tears of pain to tears of joy - Gauff's journey to glory

Three years ago, Coco Gauff was seen crying under a towel. She had just lost the French Open women's final to Iga Swiatek. At that time, Gauff was still a teenager and felt very alone. After the defeat, she promised to come back stronger.

In 2023, Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. This victory showcased her immense talent. In Paris, she again proved her resilience by beating Aryna Sabalenka after losing the first set. This win secured her the Roland Garros title.

Reflecting on her past defeat, Gauff said it was tough for her. She doubted herself and worried about handling pressure in future matches. "I was crying before that final," she recalled. "I just felt really ready today."

Gauff is a standout player in tennis. Film director Spike Lee attended the final to support her. She also mentioned rapper Tyler, The Creator and sprinter Gabby Thomas as inspirations for her success.

After defeating Sabalenka, Gauff revealed a note from her bag. On it, she had written "I will win French Open 2025" multiple times. This idea came from Gabby Thomas's success mantra before winning gold at the Olympics.

Gauff saw a video of Thomas on TikTok before the final and felt inspired. "I wrote it last night," she said, emphasizing its importance for self-belief.

There were doubts about Gauff's mentality earlier in her career. Critics questioned whether issues with her serve and forehand were mental or technical problems. In March, after an early exit at the Miami Open, coach Jean-Christophe Faurel discussed these concerns with her.

Since then, Gauff has won 18 of 21 matches and reached three finals in Madrid, Rome, and Paris. Faurel praised her strong mentality: "She never gives up."

During Saturday's final in Paris, Gauff faced challenging conditions but remained determined. Trailing early in the first set did not deter her spirit.

Greg Rusedski noted that mentally there is no one stronger than Gauff in women's tennis. Despite struggles with her forehand early on, she found ways to overcome obstacles during matches.

When Gauff burst onto the scene at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old, she played freely but later faced challenges as a professional athlete. Her team encouraged her to trust herself during tough times.

After winning at the US Open, changes occurred within Gauff's coaching team. Spanish coach Pere Riba left shortly after New York; Brad Gilbert departed at season’s end too.

This led to Faurel’s return as coach—a decision made after discussions following Miami’s tournament exit this year.

"We had to change something up," said Gauff about their talks on improving strategy and serving more aggressively against opponents like Sabalenka.

Faurel noted that when Gauff lands over 60% of first serves against Sabalenka, she wins—she achieved 63% during their match together.

"She lost her way a bit," Faurel admitted about earlier struggles this season but emphasized clarity now drives their success together.