Whilst today’s French Open action will be dominated by the men’s semi-finals, for some, attention has already turned to tomorrow’s women’s final.
After all, it is the perfect clash between the top-two ranked players in the world: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.
The former has enjoyed a stellar run to the final, crushing the four-time defending champion with a third-set bagel to reach this stage.
The American, meanwhile, had to beat the reigning Australian Open champion before ending Lois Boisson’s fairytale run in the semi-final.
Their paths have been unique, with both having the chance to exhibit what makes them so special. It is these traits that promise an elite showdown tomorrow afternoon.
Lindsay Davenport predicts women’s French Open final
However, given their contrasting styles but similar levels of success, predicting the match has become particularly hard.
Lindsay Davenport has given it a go, but not without struggling to settle on a definitive answer.
She was asked her thoughts by the US panel at TNT Sports, and claimed: ‘My initial thoughts right off the bat is Sabalenka with how she’s played and trying to defend against that. Let’s wait to see what the weather brings, if the roof is closed or open on Saturday. That could be a big difference as well.
‘Coco, the first week, the level that she played, probably not good enough to win this tournament. The level that she’s shown in the last three sets that she’s played. The third set against Keys and the two sets today, we’re talking about a much different Gauff.’
Sabalenka stunned Andy Roddick with her performance vs Iga Swiatek, but he too will struggle to bet against his compatriot.
Coco Gauff’s head-to-head record vs Aryna Sabalenka
What makes this showdown so enthralling is how perfectly balanced it is at five wins apiece from their ten previous matches.
And, due to their shared success, almost all of their recent clashes have come in elite-level events too.
Most recently, Sabalenka defeated Gauff in the final of the Madrid Masters this year, but before that, it was the latter who came out on top in the semi-finals of the WTA end-of-year finals, which she would go on to win.
The Belarusian won their last meeting at a Grand Slam on her way to the 2024 Australian Open title, but the year before that it was Gauff who came from a set down in the US Open final to claim her maiden Grand Slam.
Curiously, both boast a win against one another on clay too, meaning the head-to-head record offers nothing to split the two either. Davenport’s difficulty picking a French Open winner is more than justified.
