"I have much more confidence than in 2022," Gauff launches the final against Sabalenka at Roland-Garros
This Saturday, it's time for the women's singles final on Court Philippe-Chatrier. At 3 p.m., world number one Aryna Sabalenka will challenge her closest rival in the rankings, Coco Gauff, as both players vie for their first title at Porte d'Auteuil.
While this marks the Belarusian's first final in Paris, the American, on the other hand, already fought for the title in 2022 but lost to Iga Swiatek. This time, Gauff feels ready, as she explained in recent hours.
"In my first final here, I was very nervous and had already given up before the match even started. Now, I have much more confidence than in 2022 because I’ve already played the final here and won one at the US Open.
On Saturday, I’ll give my best, I’ll try to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. I need to play actively and attack. Aryna (Sabalenka) has powerful shots and plays aggressively. I think I should be ready for that and do everything I can to counter it.
There have been ups and downs in our matches. Anything can happen on Saturday, but I’m looking forward to this battle, and I’m happy to play against the world number one. Obviously, she knows how to hit powerful shots and win points from almost any position on the court.
She’s a fighter—she stays in the match no matter the score. I think her serve and mentality are the main elements of her game, though there are, of course, many other important aspects," Gauff elaborated to Tribuna just hours before the conclusion of the women's draw.
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