Coco Gauff finally got her win! After coming close to the French Open title in 2022, she lost a tough final to the Queen of Clay, Iga Swiatek. This time, she came with a winner’s mindset and took it all! From writing “I will win French Open 2025” repeatedly on a small piece of paper to defeating top seed Aryna Sabalenka, the 21-year-old made headlines by clinching the title. But being the first American in 10 years? She was not expecting that!

It’s a real pinch-me moment for Gauff. Winning the 2025 Roland Garros title is no small feat. In fact, no American woman has won here in a decade! The last was Serena Williams, the WTA legend who won the tournament three times. Her last victory was in 2015 against Lucie Safarova, where she claimed her 20th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 win. Now, Coco has done the same!

During a chat with USOpen.org, Coco was asked what it means to break that drought. She said, “It means a lot. Honestly, I didn’t realize it had been 10 years since the last American woman won, and for that woman to have been Serena Williams is so cool and really inspiring.”

Coco Gauff’s career has closely mirrored Serena’s early journey. She showed prodigious talent and mental toughness from the start. Before this French Open win, she famously beat Venus Williams at 15 as a Wimbledon qualifier, reached her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open, and won her maiden major singles title at the 2023 US Open. That made her the youngest American woman to do so since Serena in 1999. She also claimed her first WTA title at Linz in 2019, her first WTA 1000 in Cincinnati in 2023, and won the 2024 WTA Finals, earning many “youngest since Serena” tags.

Not to mention, American tennis made history at Roland Garros 2025 with eight US players reaching the fourth round! On the WTA side, Gauff, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and Hailey Baptiste stood out. On the ATP side, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul shone. It’s been nearly 30 years since three American men reached this stage, back in 1995 with Agassi, Chang, and Courier.

“I’m glad that Americans are back and part of the Roland Garros conversation, and hopefully, many more can follow in those footsteps,” Coco added, proud to be bringing the spotlight back on American tennis!

It must be a true honor for the young starlet who once said she admired Serena Williams so much. Coco even noted that she and Venus were the reasons she “picked up the racket” in the first place! Additionally, winning the French Open was one thing. But Gauff broke another record along the way!

Coco Gauff surpasses Serena in yet another milestone at Roland Garros

She kicked off her 2025 French Open campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over Olivia Gadecki. The young American showed why she’s a serious contender for her first Roland Garros title. But beyond the win, Gauff set a unique record—she became the youngest American in the Open Era to reach 20 women’s singles wins at the French Open. Turning 21 this March, she surpassed her idol Serena Williams, who hit 20 wins just shy of her 22nd birthday.

Paris has been a happy hunting ground for Gauff. She made her first Grand Slam final here in 2022 but fell to Iga Swiatek. Last year, she reached the semifinals before again losing to Swiatek. She also boasts a couple of quarterfinal appearances, proving her consistency on the clay courts.

The excitement rose as Gauff prepared to face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Sabalenka is at the No. 1 spot, while Gauff has climbed back to No. 2 after strong runs in Madrid and Rome. According to OptaAce on X, “The World No. 1 and 2 will face each other in a Women’s Singles Grand Slam final for the 1st time since the Australian Open 2018 (Halep & Wozniacki) and for the first time at Roland Garros since 2013 (S Williams & Sharapova). Battle.” History is repeating itself—Serena defeated Sharapova in the 2013 final to claim her second Roland Garros title.

Coco Gauff is clearly doing a great job at following in Serena’s footsteps. With Williams’s seven Wimbledon singles titles as inspiration, could Gauff surprise everyone on grass this season? Will she add another milestone to her growing list? Let us know what you think in the comments below!