Gauff happy to win ugly as she clinches second Slam

COCO Gauff admitted her first French Open title win “wasn’t pretty” after she battled Aryna Sabalenka and the elements to reign on the Paris clay.

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The 21-year-old American, seeded second, came from a set down to beat world number one Sabalenka 6-7 6-2 6-4.

A stiff breeze swirled around Court Philippe-Chatrier and contributed to a combined total of 100 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve.

It was Gauff who coped better with the conditions to add the Roland Garros title to her 2023 US Open crown.

"It was super tough when I walked on the court and felt the wind because we warmed up with the roof closed," she said.

"I was, like 'this is going to be a tough day,' and I knew it was just going to be about willpower and mental.

"It really came down to the last few points, but overall I'm just really happy with the fight that I managed today.

"It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done, and that's all that matters."

It was the first time the top two women’s seeds had contested a Roland Garros final since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013.