When a 15-year-old Coco Gauff became the youngest ever to qualify for Wimbledon in the Open Era, she had a dream first-round encounter on her mind—a match against either of the Williams sisters. And as fate would have it, the draw pitted her against the older sister. The result? She stunned Court 1 and the entire world by defeating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4. A few months later, their rematch in the first round of the 2020 Australian Open would again see the teenager topple the 7x Grand Slam winner. Coco Gauff had arrived.

Now in 2025, she’s writing her legacy in fire, racing into her third straight clay court final in two months, this time straight in the furnace of Philippe Chatrier. She was here before once—back in 2022—but couldn’t get past Iga Swiatek, who won the first of what would be three back-to-back French Open titles. The Pole couldn’t make it to the summit clash this time, having been ousted by Aryna Sabalenka. The same Sabalenka who got the better of Gauff at the Madrid Open final. Needless to say, the American has a lot riding on this final—a lot of scores to settle, a lot of unfinished business. 

Only time will tell if she is able to take care of it all today. Needless to say, even if she doesn’t, she’ll have more opportunities in the future. But amidst all that, one dream will remain unrealized. While Gauff could go toe-to-toe with Venus Williams, sharing a court with Serena wasn’t possible. However, that’s no reason not to wonder what would have transpired had that half of the 15-year-old Gauff’s wish had also come true.

Chatting with the vibrant Broadcast Boys, Coco Gauff didn’t hesitate when asked about a former player she’d fear on the other side of the net. “Serena,” she echoed with reverence, the weight of that name alone carrying history, power, and greatness. “If we played on clay, I feel like I could have got her, but any other surface would have been tough,” Gauff mused. Then came another twist to the tale: what if Serena Williams returned, healthy, injury-free, and given a full month to train? How would that play out under the spotlight? Gauff didn’t flinch then as well. 

“The thing is, I don’t think she would be as motivated anymore. And I feel like a lot—her, like to be great, you have to be motivated.” She paused before adding again, “So I feel like she still would do well ‘cause she’d want to prove people wrong, but I feel like she’s reached a point where she’s satisfied with her career. But if I took that out of it, then yeah, obviously she can do really well.”

That unwavering respect for a 23-time slam winner isn’t just surface-level admiration: it’s deep, emotional, and ever-present. Just days ago, Gauff again tipped her hat to the queen of American tennis, acknowledging Serena’s indelible impact on the sport. “With Serena, I think she’s inspired so many to play tennis, including me. So she definitely has a lot of credit when it comes to just getting rackets into people’s hands,” she said.

Now, as she stands poised on the brink of another major moment, facing off against Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster Roland Garros final, Coco’s story continues to amaze. But how hard would it be to face Sabalenka?

Coco Gauff opens up about facing Aryna Sabalenka at France

This year’s Roland Garros final isn’t just any showdown, it’s a heavyweight collision between the top two players in the world, the first 1st and second seeds’ clash in Paris since 2013, when the icon Serena Williams outgunned Maria Sharapova in a battle of legends. Now, it’s Coco Gauff’s moment to carve her name deeper into history, as she prepares to lock horns with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in what promises to be a titanic showdown under the Parisian sun.

Gauff, already a GS champion after toppling Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open, is chasing her second major title, and her 1st on the red clay of Roland Garros. A win today would make her the youngest American to lift the trophy since Serena in 2002, and with 70 GS singles wins already under her belt, she’s rewriting the record books one swing at a time.

“[Sabalenka is] someone who has great big shots, and she’s going to come out aggressive, she’s going to come out swinging,” Gauff said. “I think I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that. I think the past experience that I’ve played her, we had some up-and-down matches, we had some that I won straight sets and her vice versa.”

With the final just hours away at the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier, the world watches. So tell us: where does your heart lie in this clash of queens?