World’s top two clash for French Open crown as Sabalenka faces Gauff

PARIS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka targets a French Open title that would “mean the world” in a tantalising final against second-ranked Coco Gauff at Roland Garros on Saturday.

It will be the first time the world´s top two players have met in a women´s Grand Slam final since Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep to win the 2018 Australian Open. Sabalenka and Gauff faced off in the 2023 US Open final, when the Belarusian led by a set before imploding as the then-teenager Gauff claimed her maiden major title.

Their head-to-head record is locked at 5-5, although Sabalenka came out on top in their last meeting in the Madrid Open final last month. The top seed will be playing in her first Slam final not on hard courts.

“In the past I don´t know how many years, we´ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay,” she said after ending Iga Swiatek´s bid for a fourth successive Roland Garros triumph in the semi-finals.

“If I´ll be able to get this trophy, it´s just going to mean the world for us. “I´m ready to go in that final and to fight, fight for every point and give everything I have to give to get the win.” Sabalenka snapped Swiatek´s 26-match winning run at the French Open with a devastating deciding set that she took 6-0 in just 22 minutes.

But the 27-year-old knows it will not be easy against Gauff, who has always been comfortable on clay and has reached at least the quarter-finals in five successive appearances in the tournament.

“It was a big match (against Swiatek), and it felt like a final, but I know that the job is not done yet, and I have to go out there on Saturday, and I have to fight and I have to bring my best tennis,” added three-time major champion Sabalenka.

“I have to work for that title, especially if it´s going to be Coco.” Gauff is hoping to become only the third player to win two women´s Grand Slam titles before the age of 22 since Maria Sharapova added the 2006 US Open to her famous 2004 Wimbledon win.

The others are Swiatek and former world number one Naomi Osaka. It will be the 21-year-old´s second Roland Garros final after she was left in tears following a heavy defeat by Swiatek in 2022. “Obviously here I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one,” said Gauff.

“I think going into Saturday I´ll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible.” Sabalenka will be playing in her seventh WTA final of the year, the most by any player at this stage of a season since Serena Williams -- who beat Sharapova to win the title in Paris -- in 2013.

Gauff says Sabalenka´s power has helped her build a commanding lead at the top of the world rankings. “I think obviously her ball striking, she can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court, so I think her ball striking and also her mentality, she´s a fighter as well, she´s going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.”