Coco Gauff rolled past French wild card Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals to reach her second French Open final. With that win, Gauff set up a mouthwatering No. 1 vs No. 2 clash against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. And yes, it’s a rematch of the 2023 US Open final, where Gauff lifted her first major trophy. But since that loss, Sabalenka has only sharpened her game. So now, with the final looming, the 21-year-old faces a tougher test, as is being highlighted by Serena Williams‘ former coach.

Aryna Sabalenka comes into the final with fresh momentum after snapping Iga Swiatek’s 26-match French Open winning streak in a stunning 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal win. That third set bagel? It speaks volumes. Coco Gauff has made some serious improvements herself. Her defense and speed make her a nightmare opponent on slower surfaces. Against Boisson, her backhand was on fire, and her forehand held up nicely, too. However, her serve remains a concern. In the first set, she only landed 39% of first serves. That number jumped to 74% in the second set, but it’s the kind of inconsistency that could hurt against a player like Sabalenka.

Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs pointed it out on X, saying, “Although the one area where she needs to be concerned about in the final is 1st serve %. Needs to up that against Aryna as she will make her pay for that.”

It’s not just about the percentage, though. Gauff has struggled with double faults in recent months. In Rome, she racked up 42 double faults over six matches. Against Qinwen Zheng in the semifinals, she had 15. While she kept the count to just two in her match against Boisson, the risk is still there.

Stubbs had previously talked about the American’s serve issues and said, “I think her elbow gets super low and sort of so close to her body. The left arm jumps down. There are so many little technical things that are going to be a problem for her going forward forever.”

Interestingly, Sabalenka once had similar serving issues. Back in 2022, the Belarusian was battling serious yips, registering a massive 428 double faults for the year. Then came biomechanist Gavin Macmillan. Together, they worked on refining her motion, adjusting her take-back, and setting her wrist at a more neutral angle. Since then, her serve has turned into a serious weapon.

And while Coco Gauff is still ironing out her serve, her mindset has matured.

Coco Gauff shakes off 2022 nerves in second French Open final

Confidence will be key. Aryna Sabalenka has won three of their last four meetings, including a dominant straight-sets win in the Madrid Open final just a few weeks ago. Their head-to-head is tied at 5-5. This match will break the deadlock.

The 21-year-old is contesting her second French Open final. However, she expects things to be different this time, no longer stepping in as a nervous teenager chasing a breakout moment. Back in 2022, the nerves got the better of her, she walked onto the court overwhelmed and never found her footing, as Iga Świątek cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win to claim the first of her three straight French Open titles.

In her interview, Coco Gauff reflected on that match and said, “My first final here, I was super nervous, and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened. Obviously, here, I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one.”

As for Sabalenka? This final means more than anything. “It’s going to mean everything to me and my team, because I have to say that almost (my) whole life, I’ve been told (clay) is not my thing, and then I didn’t have any confidence,” said the World No.1 in her post-match interview. “In the past — I don’t know how many years — we’ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay.”

Saturday’s final is all about proving something, to themselves, to the critics, and to the sport. One has overcome the ghosts of nerves and technical flaws. The other has flipped the script on a surface she once dreaded. Who do you think will walk away with their first Roland Garros title? Let us know in the comments below.