Flawless display from the American to reach 2nd singles final in Paris.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff produced a scintillating performance to overcome French wildcard Lois Boisson 6-1 6-2 on Thursday night. The American, unfazed by the roaring Parisian crowd, delivered a defensive masterclass to thrash Boisson in the 2025 Roland Garros semifinal. The breakout sensation had no answers to Gauff’s angular play and power – and left the court to a loud round of applause.
Gauff will now face World No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. The Belarusian overcame defending champion Iga Swiatek in the other semifinal – making it the 11th meeting between the two players over the weekend. With Gauff and Sabalenka splitting the head-to-head 5-5 so far, the winner of Coupe Suzanne Lenglen will grab the edge in the rivalry.
Ahead of the encounter, the No. 2 seed made it clear that she wouldn’t let the audience affect her. She proved that actions speak louder than words – Gauff shut out the noise and raced to a 4-0 lead early on. Both players adopted a deep stance and had some tiring baseline exchanges. However, the match-up was dreadful for Boisson.
Having amassed victories over the likes of Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva who play an attacking brand of tennis, Gauff is a defensive maestro. While the 22-year-old thrives on using the pace of her opponents to counter the play, the 2023 US Open champion gave her none of it. She forced Boisson to induce power and pace, and stayed alive in rallies with the aid of her immaculate endurance to force the errors.
After capturing the opener 6-1 to silence the French crowd, things hung in the balance in the second set. Serving at 2-3 however, Boisson, who started the French Open at No. 361 in the world, got broken. It was one way traffic from there – with over a 60% winning ratio on receiving points – Coco Gauff ensured a straightforward 6-1 6-2 thumping.
While Boisson produced too many unforced errors on the night, Gauff dominated the longer exchanges. However, her opponent in the final will not entertain too many long-drawn points. An attacking powerhouse, Aryna Sabalenka thrives on dictating the rallies, and keeping points down to <5 shots. Nonetheless, the American was all smiles after entering her second Roland Garros singles final.
“I knew it was important today [starting strong]. Lois is an incredible player and for her to have the tournament that she had, she proved that she’s one of the best players on clay,” said the 21-year-old. Gauff is now the youngest woman to reach the final of Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros in the same season.
Regarding the summit clash on Saturday, Gauff remains confident about her chances. “Yeah, it definitely will help me [her experience of playing the final in 2022]. I was super nervous going into that final. Obviously I’m playing Aryna – it’s going to be a tough match. But overall, I’m just really proud of myself; yeah there’s still a lot more work to do, but I’m just going to enjoy this one and tomorrow I’ll start the preparation for the final.”
Coco Gauff will face Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday evening in the 2025 Roland Garros women’s singles final. It will be their third final during the course of this popular duel.
