A little bit of self-persuasion went a very long way for Coco Gauff, whose victory at the French Open gave the 21-year-old American a trophy she has long coveted, and a second major title.

American Coco Gauff celebrates after winning her women's singles final match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 7, 2025.

Paris in the spring, the red clay of Roland-Garros, and the chance to become a French Open champion.It was 2022 and she was still a teenager who’d never won a major. But before she knew it, the whole thing was over.