Unlike some of her counterparts in the top 10, Coco Gauff didn’t have much trouble solving the riddle of Lois Boisson.
Gauff, the No. 2 seed, dismantled the previously unknown Frenchwoman 6-1, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the French Open final for a second time. Gauff will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the player she defeated in 2023 to win the US Open, on Saturday.
Though her level of play has vacillated between sharp and sloppy throughout the tournament, Gauff was mostly dialed in against Boisson, who captivated the Parisian crowds in recent days by knocking off No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to reach the semifinals in her Grand Slam singles debut.
But Boisson, who was ranked No. 361 in the world when the French Open began, seemed to run out of gas against Gauff, who limited her errors and relentlessly targeted the shaky Boisson backhand. Though Boisson managed to get back on serve briefly in the second set and provide a glimmer of hope for the French fans, Gauff quickly ended the drama with another break and sprinted to the finish line.
Gauff has been hunting a French Open title since arriving on tour, reaching the finals in 2022 and the semifinals last year, losing to four-time champion Iga Swiatek on both occasions.
This time, the 21-year-old from Delray Beach, Florida, won’t have to face Swiatek – but Sabalenka stands as just as much of a challenge these days, even on clay.
Sabalenka ran away from Swiatek in the other semifinal, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0, breaking through to her first French final. Sabalenka will be trying to win her fourth major, joining two Australian and one US title.
Gauff and Sabalenka have split their 10 career meetings. Most recently, Sabalenka edged out a 6-3, 7-6 win in the Madrid finals on clay. Gauff beat Sabalenka 7-6, 6-3 last fall in the championship match of the WTA Finals on a hard court.