Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets on Saturday to win the French Open, marking the first time the 21-year-old has won at Roland Garros in her young career.

To claim her second career Grand Slam title, Gauff won the three-set battle (6-7, 6-2, 6-4) to beat Sabalenka. After the victory, Gauff expressed nothing but respect for Sabalenka, the No.1 ranked player in the world.

“I’d like to congratulate Aryna," Gauff said. "You’re a fighter. You’re the #1 player in the world. I know today was a tough match, but you deserve all the results you’ve been having. Every time we play, it’s such a tough match for me. Congratulations. Hopefully we play many more.”

Sabalenka fought back tears acknowledging the loss hurt, especially after not playing her best tennis, but she was congratulatory of Gauff on the well-earned victory.

"Coco, congrats," Sabalenka said. "In these tough conditions you were a better player than me. Well done on a great two weeks. Congrats on the second Grand Slam, well deserved here. You're a fighter, hard worker, so congrats to you and your team."

Entering Saturday's matchup, Gauff and Sabalenka had previously faced off twice in majors and split those matchups 1-1. Gauff beat Sabalenka in the 2023 U.S. Open final to win her first Grand Slam, while Sabalenka won the most recent Grand Slam matchup between the two, defeating Gauff in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals.

There will surely be more matchups to come between the two great competitors. Sabalenka has three Grand Slam titles but is still seeking her first French Open win, and Gauff is now up to two Grand Slam victories.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Coco Gauff Had Classy Message for Aryna Sabalenka After French Open Win.

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