It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon in Paris on June 6th, 2015, when Serena Williams defied all odds to clinch her 20th GS at Roland Garros. With her victory on the Parisian clay, she etched her name in American tennis folklore. A decade later, yet again, it’s a sunny Saturday afternoon in Paris on June 7th, 2025. This time, too, another American dreamer, second seed Coco Gauff, steps into the spotlight with a shot at chasing Serena’s legacy. But against the thunderous threat of top seed Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff needs more than fire: she needs finesse, clarity, and calculated aggression.

According to a former American pro and Roger Federer’s ex-coach, Paul Annacone, it’ll take something truly special to echo the greatness ReRe once carved into the French clay! And what’s that?

Speaking on “Tennis Channel”, former ATP ace Paul Annacone dissected the high-stakes clash awaiting Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, diving deep into what makes this final a collision of titans at Parisian clay. He pulled no punches when it came to Sabalenka’s form. “The intangibles I only gave to Sabalenka because of the confidence level. She’s playing the best tennis on the planet,” Annacone said.

Yet, when he broke down the individual attributes of both players, the plot thickened a bit. “Movement goes to Coco. backhand goes to Coco. Bigger forehand and better forehand for Sabalenka, and better serve. So many of the things are going to be about who manages the moment the best,” he added. 

Moreover, their H2H? A dead heat! “And they’ve had battles. you set this up perfectly 1 to 1 in majors, 1 to 1 on clay. It’s going to be really interesting to me to see who manages the moment and who reacts to the adversity with cool, calm composure and remain confident,” he explained, highlighting how this rivalry is as much mental warfare at the court as it is physical combat.

Annacone then peeled back the layers on the American’s journey through the tournament. “First of all, that Coco’s played her best tennis at the end of this tournament. She wasn’t playing great at the beginning. She found ways to win matches anyway, which is awesome. But she’s also gotten better, so I think that will free her up. I think she’ll be relaxed. I’ll be surprised if Coco doesn’t play really well tomorrow. Will it be good enough? It’s got to be really good because Sabalenka is unbelievably confident, right?” he said.

Interestingly, Sabalenka blazed her way to the finals without dropping a set until she faced 4-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek. That SF became a classic, with Sabalenka storming back in the third set to hand Swiatek her first Parisian clay loss in 27 matches. The scoreline? 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0: a statement victory that electrified Paris!

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff has been quietly and powerfully scripting her redemption arc at the French Capital. She dropped only one set, in a gritty QF against Madison Keys, and dismantled French crowd-favorite Lois Boisson in the semis in a one-sided battle. 

At just 21, Gauff is now the youngest player since 2009 to reach the Madrid, Rome, as well as Roland Garros finals in a single year. But with just hours to go, another voice: Andy Roddick, the last American man to lift the US Open trophy, has his own bold prediction. 

Will Andy Roddick’s gut call steer the narrative, or will the French clay crown its queen without mercy?

Andy Roddick backs Sabalenka to win Roland Garros

On his podcast “Served”, the former US Open champion Andy Roddick didn’t mince words while praising Aryna Sabalenka’s electrifying recent SF win over Iga Swiatek. Reflecting on her fearless performance, Roddick added, “Sabalenka is like there’s an argument she’s the best big match player in the world right now, 6-0 in the third against the person who’s won four of the last five years at a Slam event.”

He continued, “It’s weird to say it’s her worst surface, cuz she’s so good on clay also, but it’s probably her least favorite surface, or at minimum, the surface that she’s had to work the hardest to become really good on. Nothing about her skill set instantly translates to clay.”

Later in the same episode, Roddick laid down his prediction for the final without hesitation. “Sabalenka rolled,” he declared. “I don’t know that she can be stopped. I think she’s the favorite. I think she’s, and I don’t say this dismissively or disrespectfully to anyone else, and I’ve been saying it for a couple of months now, I think she’s the favorite in any tournament she’s in right now.” The former No. 1 closed the segment with a clear verdict: “I think she wins the final.”

Roddick’s confidence mirrors what the world witnessed just days ago at the court. Under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier, Sabalenka’s ruthless precision crushed Swiatek’s rhythm. The Polish ace unraveled in the 3rd set, handing over 12 unforced errors, while Sabalenka stood firm with “Zero”. No mercy, no mistakes: just a statement from the Belarusian.

So, as the final looms large, the question remains: can anyone stop Aryna? Or will Paris watch Coco try to break the unmovable storm?