In a thrilling display of grit and determination, Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and American tennis sensation, battled through a tense second-set scare to defeat Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 7-6(3) in the third round of the 2025 French Open. The victory, secured on a sun-drenched Court Suzanne-Lenglen, marked Gauff’s fifth consecutive year reaching the second week at Roland Garros, a remarkable feat for the 21-year-old who continues to solidify her status as one of tennis’s brightest stars. Her performance was a testament to her resilience, as she overcame a shaky serve and a determined opponent to keep her hopes alive for a second Grand Slam singles title.
The match began with Gauff asserting her dominance, racing to a 6-1 first-set win in just 32 minutes. Her aggressive baseline play and relentless pressure overwhelmed Bouzkova, who struggled to find answers against Gauff’s pace and precision. The American converted three break points in the opening set, capitalizing on Bouzkova’s 12 unforced errors while keeping her own mistakes to a minimum. “I felt in control early,” Gauff later reflected, her confidence evident after a commanding start. Her recent clay-court success, including finals in Madrid and Rome, translated seamlessly to the Parisian clay, where she won the doubles title in 2024 alongside Katerina Siniakova.
However, the second set told a different story. Bouzkova, a crafty Czech player known for her spins and angles, found her rhythm and turned the match into a dogfight. She broke Gauff’s serve four times, taking a 5-3 lead and standing at 30-0 while serving for the set. Gauff, whose serve faltered with six double faults across the match, admitted to struggling with consistency. “My serve was iffy at times,” she said, acknowledging the challenge of maintaining her composure under pressure. Yet, her mental toughness shone through. At 5-3, 40-40, Bouzkova’s chance to force a third set slipped away as Gauff clawed back, breaking serve and leveling the score. The set culminated in a tiebreak, where Gauff’s sheer will prevailed, winning 7-3 to seal the match in 75 minutes.
This victory was particularly significant for Gauff, who had lost both prior encounters with Bouzkova. “Coco was 0-2 against Bouzkova coming into this match,” a commentator noted, highlighting the psychological hurdle she overcame. Her ability to stay “tough as nails,” as one observer put it, was evident as she navigated nine service breaks in the second set alone, ultimately breaking Bouzkova’s serve to secure the win. The match statistics underscored her resilience: despite only 11 winners compared to Bouzkova’s 16, Gauff’s 26 service points and 37 receiving points showcased her ability to grind out crucial moments.
Gauff’s journey at Roland Garros has been marked by consistent excellence. Since her debut in 2019 at age 15, she has reached the fourth round or better in every appearance, a record matched by few in the tournament’s history. Her 2022 singles final run, where she fell to Iga Swiatek, remains a high watermark, but her 2023 US Open title and 2024 WTA Finals triumph have fueled her ambition to claim the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen. “I have unfinished business at Roland-Garros,” Gauff said earlier this year, a statement that resonates as she continues her 2025 campaign with 27 wins and a 13-2 record in her last 15 matches.
The match against Bouzkova, a rematch of their 2024 French Open junior final, highlighted Gauff’s edge in experience. At 21, she leveraged her Grand Slam pedigree to outlast the 26-year-old Czech, who fought valiantly despite a suspected injury. “She played extremely crafty with spins, angles, and intensity,” Gauff acknowledged, praising Bouzkova’s effort. The victory sets up a fourth-round clash with No. 20 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, a formidable opponent but one Gauff is favored to overcome given her 7-0 record in Grand Slam fourth-round matches.
Gauff’s off-court charm added a light-hearted note to her campaign. Earlier in the tournament, she forgot her rackets before her first-round match against Olivia Gadecki, a moment she laughed off. “I made fun of Frances [Tiafoe] for it in Madrid, but now I’ll be quiet,” she quipped, referencing a similar mishap by her compatriot. The incident, which saw her shrugging and smiling with Gadecki, relaxed her mindset, contributing to her 6-2, 6-2 win. “After that, it probably relaxed me going into the match, because it was just such a funny thing,” she said.
As Gauff advances, her path to the final is fraught with challenges. Potential matchups against No. 7 Madison Keys in the quarterfinals or No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final loom large, with Sabalenka holding a 2-1 edge in their recent encounters. Yet, Gauff’s clay-court form, including her first win over Swiatek in Madrid, signals her readiness to compete with the elite. With eight Americans in the Round of 16, the most since 1985, Gauff leads a strong U.S. contingent, her sights firmly set on ending her title drought and cementing her legacy in Paris.
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