French Open 2025: Come Along for Coco Gauff's Virtual Victory Lap
In this Coco Gauff appreciation post, you get to follow the 2025 French Open champion as she celebrates her historic win.
This edition of Courtside Coffee is an unapologetic homer post. In the sports writing world, a homer is a journalist who shows obvious bias toward a subject they cover, especially if it’s their favorite team. Homers are frowned upon in the press box, where there’s a “no cheering” policy.
But for this edition of Courtside Coffee, I’m confessing. I’m a HOMER!
Gauff is the first American to win the French Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2015. Gauff is the youngest American to win the French Open singles title since Serena in 2002. Like Serena, Coco is a Miami Dolphins-loving Floridian. I’m a Miami Dolphins-loving Floridian taking a virtual victory lap with Coco.
In this Coco appreciation post, I’m recreating Coco’s celebratory journey from the game-winning shot and trophy presentation to television appearances this morning.
So come along and enjoy this virtual victory lap with Coco.
Championship Point
After coming back from a set down, Coco serves it out against the wind and hard-hitting Aryna Sabalenka. At one point in the rally, Coco thinks she hit the ball out. It clips the line. Sabalenka hits it back, and Coco dashes to hit it deep. Sabalenka goes for a cross-court winner but hits it out instead. Game. Set. Match!
The Trophy Presentation
Sabalenka is distraught, which is understandable. Tennis is the only sport in which the loser participates in the winner’s celebration. Later, Coco will admit that she chickened out of saying her speech in French. “Merci beaucoup,” was good enough.
Celebrity Congratulations Pour In
Immediately after the win, celebrities and dignitaries posted congratulations to Coco via social media.
Coco’s Parents Meet the Media
While Coco was running around doing interviews, TNT Sports’ Jon Wertheim caught up with Coco’s parents. As usual, dad was too nervous to watch from the player’s box.
Coco Does Post-Match Press Conference
The trophy ceremony is the first time players share thoughts about the match. They then do on-court interviews with networks covering the tournament. After that, Coco has a chance to freshen up and do the post-match press conference, where journalists from around the world get to ask questions. At this press conference, she addressed the unfortunate comments Sabalenka made. Sabalenka’s comments landed her on the loser list of my article Biggest Winners and Losers at Roland-Garros.
Coco Pops Champagne for the First Time
After the formal press conference, Coco made it to the TNT Sports desk, where she shared a panel with two other Floridians, Jim Courier and Chris Evert, who also won the French Open.
Sam Querrey mentioned the windy conditions, and Coco said she told herself, “Being from Florida, literally in the warm-up when it was windy, I was like, all right, this is going to be one of those Florida practice days where you don’t feel good but you just have to grind it out.”
Coco Talks Emotions with the Tennis Channel
After interviews with TNT Sports, Coco went to the Tennis Channel desk, where she spoke about controlling her emotions.
Coco Dances In Paris in Designer Digs
It’s customary for Grand Slam winners to do post-victory photo shoots away from the court. During the U.S. Open, players do photo shoots on the Empire State Building or in Times Square.
Coco wore her Miu Miu designer kit and showed off her trophy at the Place de la Concorde in Paris while dancing for fans.
Coco Reveals Replica French Open Trophy
On her flight back to the United States, Coco shares with fans the mini replica trophy she gets to take home. She almost seems disappointed she doesn’t get the full-sized Coupe Suzanne Lenglen she posed with after the win. Wait, Serena and Chrissy didn’t tell her? Even I knew that.
Coco Makes the Rounds on Morning Shows
After a whirlwind of media requests in Paris, Coco returned to the States to make several television appearances. She hit all the major morning shows: Good Morning America (ABC), Today (NBC), and CBS Mornings. Expect her to see her on some late-night shows, which are typically taped in the late afternoons.
She’ll then head home to Florida and back to Europe to prepare for Wimbledon. Whew. What a trip.