Coco Gauff handles bad memories and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka to earn first French Open title

PARIS (AP) — Drawing on the painful memory of her defeat three years ago in the French Open final gave Coco Gauff just the motivation she needed to win the clay-court major for the first time.

The 21-year-old American defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday for her second Grand Slam title, two years after winning the U.S. Open.

“I think (the U.S. Open victory) was more emotional but this one was harder,” said Gauff, who managed to handle the elements and the momentum swings better than Sabalenka. "I knew it was going to be about will power and mental (strength)."

The victory put to rest the bad memories of her 2022 French Open final loss to Iga Swiatek when, as an 18-year-old, Gauff felt overwhelmed even before stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“It was a tough time, I was doubting myself," Gauff recalled. “I was crying before the match, and so nervous, literally couldn't breathe and stuff."

Gauff said that the lopsided loss rocked her confidence to such an extent that she was left “in a dark place” and feared she was not cut out for winning major titles.

“I thought if I can't handle this how am I going to handle it again?” she said.

She handled it just fine on Saturday.

The second-ranked Gauff made fewer mistakes and kept her emotions in check to get the better of Sabalenka again at major final, having come from a set down to beat the Belarusian in the 2023 U.S. Open final.

Gauff raised the winners' trophy aloft, then kissed it several times. She held her hand over her heart when the U.S. national anthem played.

“This one is heavy," Gauff said. “It feels great to lift it.”

She is the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.

It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years.

After Sabalenka sent a backhand wide on Gauff's second match point, the 21-year-old American fell onto her back, covering her face with both hands as she started to sob, then got up and held her hand over her mouth. She continued to sob as she patted the clay with her left hand.

Gauff greeted Sabalenka at the net with a warm hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed out with joy and relief, then got to her knees and crouched forward, continuing to cry as she savored the win.

She hugged later film director Spike Lee and celebrated with her entourage in her box before thanking the fans.

“You guys were cheering for me so hard," she said. "I don’t know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd.”

One thing Gauff could not manage — yet — was a victory speech in French.

“I completely tanked on that," she said, adding that she will try in the future. “I don’t think I could do a whole speech but maybe a good something to say to the French crowd.”

Sabalenka praised Gauff for being a “fighter” and said she deserved the win, but added that the windy conditions made for an error-strewn contest.

“This will hurt so much," Sabalenka said. "Coco, congrats, in the tough conditions you were a better player than me.”

Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set. She made 70 altogether in the match, compared to 30 overall for Gauff.

Sabalenka was often frustrated, remonstrating and shouting at herself and frequently turning around to look at her team with an exasperated look on her face. She put her head on her hands a couple of times, and at one point raised her shoulders as if to say “What’s going on?”

Gauff said she paid no attention, knowing full well that Sabalenka could find her best game at any moment.

The first set looked to be heading Gauff’s way when she led 3-0 in the tiebreaker, but Sabalenka steadied herself and clinched it with a forehand volley at the net.

Gauff leveled the match with a smash at the net. But Sabalenka stuck to her high-risk approach in the deciding set.

One superb rally in the third game drew loud cheers.

After an intense exchange of drop shots, Gauff hit a lob that Sabalenka chased down before attempting a shot between her legs — only for Gauff to intercept it at the net.

It was a rare highlight on a day when swirling wind troubled both players with the roof open.

“It was tough to plant your feet, the ball was moving so much," Gauff said. “It was not a day for great tennis, honestly."

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Coco Gauff of the U.S. kisses the trophy after winning the final match of the French Tennis Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Winner Coco Gauff of the U.S. kisses the trophy after the final match of the French Tennis Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cries during trophy presentation after losing the final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros against United States' Coco Gauff in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cries during trophy presentation after losing the final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros against United States' Coco Gauff in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates as she won the final match of the French Tennis Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates as she won the final match of the French Tennis Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates as she won the final match of the French Tennis Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

United States' Coco Gauff celebrate after winning the final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus n Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts as she plays against Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a shot against Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a shot against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a shot against Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Dane group performs before the final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, left, and Coco Gauff of the U.S. pose for a picture before their final match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates as she won the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against Poland's Iga Swiatek at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates as she won the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against France's Lois Boisson at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.

Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.

By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.

“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”

Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.

It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.

Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.

Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.

“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.

Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.

The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.

When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.

Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.

“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”

Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.

“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”

And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.

Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.

Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.

While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.

Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.

Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.

“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)