Older, Wiser, More Confident Gauff

She will be calm, relaxed against Sabalenka, with both eyeing first Roland Garros crown

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PARIS - Coco Gauff will try to downplay the magnitude of the French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka on June 7 and learn from her runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2022.

The 21-year-old American swept into her third Grand Slam singles final with a 6-1, 6-2 win that put an abrupt end to surprise French heroine Lois Boisson's improbable run in Paris.

Gauff lost the 2022 French Open final to Polish star Iga Swiatek before beating Sabalenka a year later to capture her first Major title at the US Open.

She believes she is a much more confident player than the teenager beaten in her maiden Grand Slam final.

"My first final here I was super nervous, and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened," said Gauff, the world No. 2 behind Belarus' Sabalenka.

"Obviously now I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one. I think going into Saturday I'll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible."