Coco Gauff won the 2025 Roland Garros by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. She returns in May 2026 as the player to beat.

Coco Guff’s Clay Pedigree Speaks For Itself

Coco Gauff’s playing style is characterized by elite movement, heavy topspin, and suits Clay courts naturally. WTA was the highest win in the 2025 season. Gauff, who once stated she models her clay court forehand after Rafael Nadal, reached her highest tally of clay court wins in a single season, with a 17-win streak within her 18-3 record.

The Points Pressure Is Real, And That Is A Good Problem For Coco Gauff To Have

Coco Gauff earned 3,408 WTA ranking points at the 2025 clay stretch, which make up nearly half her total ranking points. Without matching last year’s results, her ranking will drop significantly. Her 16-6 overall record in 2026, including a Miami Open final appearance, suggests the form is there to defend them.

Sabalenka Looms Large, but Gauff Has Been Here Before

Mar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus embraces Coco Gauff of the United States after defeating her in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open women’s singles final, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, to secure her first Grand Slam title. The match took place on September 9th, where Gauff rallied from a set down to defeat the incoming world No. 1. Sabalenka has never won Roland Garros, despite being considered a top favorite. The pressure of that pursuit falls on her, not Gauff. Her emotional loss in the 2025 final, where she made 70 unforced errors and later apologized for “unprofessional” comments about the result, places immense pressure on her to prove she can win on clay.

Coco Gauff has proven herself one of clay’s most dominant performers, particularly at the biggest stages like Roland Garros. She was 22-0 at Roland Garros against everyone other than Iga Swiatek, over the previous four years. Gauff is utilizing her movement to her advantage and working to incorporate more net play to finish points, like Carlos Alcaraz. She has won last four meetings their last four meetings: 6-3, 6-4 (WTA Finals 2024), 6-4, 6-4 (United Cup 2025), 6-1, 6-1 (Madrid Open 2025), including at the 2026 United Cup with 6-4, 6-2.

Jun 6, 2024; Paris, France; Iga Swiatek of Poland shakes hands with Coco Gauff of the United States after their match on day 12 of Roland Garros at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Swiatek And The Rest Of The Field Cannot Be Ignored

Iga Swiatek is a four-time Roland Garros champion (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024), with an 87% career win rate on clay. She had an up-and-down start to 2026, including a second-round loss at the Miami Open and a quarterfinal exit in Stuttgart. Swiatek split with coach Wim Fissette after Miami, appointing Francisco Roig as his replacement ahead of the clay season. A champion making bold changes to fix her game mid-season is one Gauff cannot afford to overlook. Swiatek leads the all-time head-to-head record 11-5 against Gauff.

End Of My Coco Gauff Rant

Coco Gauff remains the player to beat at Roland Garros 2026. Aryna Sabalenka is hungry, Iga Swiatek is dangerous, and Paris will be unforgiving. Gauff has seen all of that before, and she has the trophy to prove it.