"I was lying to myself" - Coco Gauff quotes Tyler, The Creator in emotional French Open victory speech

Coco Gauff lifted a second Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open, ousting World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a keenly-contested final. The youngster came back from a set down to take the match 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.

Both players were visibly emotional after the match and shed a few tears during the trophy presentation ceremony. Gauff, while accepting the Suzanne Lenglen Cup touched upon the idea of self-belief.

The champion went on to quote American rapper Tyler, The Creator in her speech, saying that whenever she spoke about self-doubt, she was probably lying, drawing a warm applause from the audience, which included her parents.

“I didn’t think honestly that I could do it," Coco Gauff said. "But I’m gonna quote Tyler the Creator right here. He said, ‘If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I must be lying’. I’d like to leave that with you guys. I think I was lying to myself and I definitely could do it. Shout out to Tyler.”

Notably, Gauff had come into this year’s French Open having underperformed in the first quarter of the season. She had not added any titles to her name and had not made any big finals up until the start of the clay season.

After failing to make much of an impact Down Under, in the Middle East, and the Sunshine Double, Gauff found form upon a return to her beloved clay. She would go on to make back-to-back finals on the surface in Madrid and Rome.

The run included wins over the likes of Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva and others, but she came up short in the final on both occasions — to Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid and Jasmine Paolini in Rome. With her win in the French Open final, she has already avenged one of the losses.

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Coco Gauff completes stunning comeback to beat Aryna Sabalenka in French Open final

Coco Gauff after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 French Open final. Source: Getty

Coco Gauff found herself behind in the scoreline right from the start of the French Open final, with Aryna Sabalenka racing to a double break lead. The youngster would eventually level the first set at 4-4, but it was her opponent who took it in a tiebreaker.

Up against it, Gauff brought out her quintessential tenacity to force Sabalenka into overpressing. She began to extend the rallies and her opponent suddenly started making more mistakes.

The American sent the match into the decider after taking the second set 6-2 and found a significant break of serve to move in the lead in the third. She faced a break point serving for the championships but was able to hold her nerve and complete the win.