"I was letting tennis control my emotions" - Coco Gauff gets honest about the advice she gave herself after incredible French Open victory

Coco Gauff revealed the advice she gave herself following her victory at the 2025 French Open. She faced World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final, and beat her after losing her first set in a remarkable comeback. It marked her first ever title at Roland Garros and second Grand Slam title overall.

Gauff made her breakthrough at Wimbeldon in 2019, when she defeated Venus Williams at the age of 15. Regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the world of tennis right now, she has already had a bright start to her career. She has won ten career singles titles, including the 2023 US Open. Gauff comes from a family of athletes, with her parents both competing in collegiate competitions.

In an interview on the Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike podcast, Coco Gauff spoke about the advice she gave herself following her loss in the 2022 French Open final and how she moved forward from it. She said:

"I can't be my biggest opponent first. I already have one opponent. I don't need two. I realized that I have to look at the positives and control my own narrative and not let the narrative control me. And I felt like I was letting the tennis control my emotions, control my self-worth, control how I approach life and friendships, and I realized it should be the opposite."

Gauff went on to say that finding a balance between tennis and her personal life helped her achieve success in the French Open.

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Coco Gauff shares her response to Aryna Sabalenka's comments saying saying Iga Swiatek would’ve beaten her in French Open final

French Open winner Coco Gauff photocall in Paris - Source: Getty

Coco Gauff shared her response to Aryna Sabalenka's comments which suggested that Gauff won the match only due to Sabalenka's own mistakes and that if Iga Swiatek had been in the 2025 final, she would have defeated the American.

In a press conference post the match, Gauff shared her reaction to the comments made by Sabalenka: (1:50 onwards)

"I mean I don't agree with that I'm here, sitting here, and last time I played her [Iga] and I won in straight sets so I don't think that's a fair thing to say, because anything can really happen. I mean the way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favorite to win so I think she was the best person that I could have played in the final, with her being number one in the world."

Coco Gauff last played Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the 2025 Madrid Open, before falling to Sabalenka in the final.