PARIS — 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.

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

Coco Gauff has captured her first French Open title after dispatching world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in a competitive women's final at Roland Garros. Gauff, who now has two career majors after winning the US Open in 2023,