French Open Picks – Women’s Final: Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff

The 2025 French Open Women’s Singles Final promises fireworks as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on No. 2 Coco Gauff in a generational showdown at Roland Garros. This marks the first women’s final in Paris featuring the top two seeds since 2013 and pits two Grand Slam champions against each other, both vying for their maiden French Open title.

The matchup brings star power, global appeal and a deadlocked 5-5 head-to-head record. Sabalenka took their most recent meeting in the Madrid Open final just weeks ago, while Gauff enters the contest looking to avenge that loss and capture the second Slam title of her young career.

Sabalenka French Open Semifinal Recap

Aryna Sabalenka has looked every bit the World No. 1 in Paris. After a quarterfinal exit at the Italian Open, she arrived at Roland Garros with purpose, rolling through Kamilla Rakhimova, Jil Teichmann, Olga Danilovic, Amanda Anisimova and Zheng Qinwen without dropping a set.

Then came the ultimate test: three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, held her nerve through a tiebreak to take it 7-6(1), dropped the second 4-6, then produced a masterclass in the decider, bageling Swiatek 6-0 with zero unforced errors. That kind of precision and dominance on clay, particularly against the “Queen of Clay,” speaks volumes about where Sabalenka’s game and confidence are.

This will be her first final at the French Open and third Grand Slam final in less than a year, a testament to her consistency in reaching the biggest moments.

Coco Gauff French Open Semifinal Recap

Coco Gauff’s path to the final has been equally impressive. The 21-year-old entered the French Open with back-to-back runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome and carried that form into Roland Garros. She dispatched Olivia Gadecki, Tereza Valentova, Marie Bouzkova and Ekaterina Alexandrova all in straight sets, before mounting a spirited comeback against Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the quarters.

Against Keys, Gauff lost the first-set tiebreak but dug in to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-1. That carried over into the semifinals, where she overwhelmed local wildcard Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in a dominant display.

This is Gauff’s second French Open final, as she lost in 2022 to Swiatek and her third overall Grand Slam final. With a refined return game and some tactical improvements in her clay-court movement, she’s grown significantly in 2025 under her new coaching team. However, the serve remains a concern: 33 double faults across the tournament is a stat that could loom large against an aggressive returner like Sabalenka.

Sabalenka vs Gauff Preview and Prediction

This match contrasts experience and youth, power and poise and an ongoing rivalry between two of the WTA’s most compelling stars.

Sabalenka brings undeniable physicality to the matchup. She’s stronger, hits bigger and plays with a maturity from repeated big-match experience. Gauff, while dynamic and speedy, often relies on defensive court coverage and counterpunching, which is a style that mirrors Sabalenka’s but with less consistent firepower.

What makes Sabalenka so dangerous in this spot is her current mental edge. After being denied in the Australian Open final by Madison Keys and falling to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, the Belarusian looks more focused than ever. The way she bageled Swiatek in the third set of their semifinal is the kind of statement performance that makes her hard to pick against.

For Gauff, the key will be protecting her second serve and keeping points long to drag Sabalenka into rallies. But that’s a tall order considering Sabalenka’s improved comfort level on clay and her ability to step inside the baseline and dictate.

Sabalenka excels at punishing second serves, which is critical given Gauff’s recent struggles in that department. Her ability to win points quickly on serve and return minimizes the effectiveness of Gauff’s defensive skills. Sabalenka also tends to perform better in revenge spots, which is evidenced by how she handled Swiatek after past losses.

If Gauff doesn’t have a clean serving day, it’s hard to see her keeping pace. Sabalenka to win is the prediction.

Our Pick: Aryna Sabalenka to Record 5+ Breaks of Gauff’s Serve

Given Gauff’s serving inconsistency and Sabalenka’s elite return metrics, this is a spot where the World No. 1 can dominate on return and capitalize on second-serve opportunities.