Coco Gauff is on her way to winning the French Open. The 21-year-old prodigy beat Loïs Boisson in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) on Thursday and will face world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. It marks her second consecutive French Open final. The win comes after she opened up about her friendship with Carlos Alcaraz, who won the title last year.
The U.S. No. 1 made quick work of her semifinal, defeating the French player, who had exceeded expectations in her run as a wild card. Gauff now prepares for a high-stakes showdown against Sabalenka, who pulled off a dramatic three-set victory over Iga Świątek, handing the defending champion a rare 6-0 loss in the deciding set.
Off the court, Gauff, who recently admitted she once ghosted him, has been taking inspiration from Alcaraz, especially when it comes to staying grounded. In his new Netflix documentary, the Spanish star said he wants to live a normal life, and Gauff says she relates. She’s even told him that she tries to smile more on the court like he does, even if it doesn’t always come naturally.
“It’s something that I try to model on him,” Gauff said this week at a press conference in France. “I have told him that I have tried to have fun on the court like him and smile as much as he does… I usually am a more serious person on the court, but I try to remember it’s just a game and try to treat it like that.”
On Friday, June 6, Alcaraz returns to the Roland Garros semifinals to face Lorenzo Musetti in their third high-stakes meeting of the season. While Alcaraz is 5-1 against Musetti and coming off a near-flawless win over Tommy Paul, Musetti has quietly become one of the top clay players on tour, and Friday’s showdown could be much closer than expected.
With Gauff already through to the final and Alcaraz ready to win for a second consecutive year, both could be lifting trophies by the end of the weekend.