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Coco Gauff takes out secret chit after French Open win, shows bold message she wrote to herself before tournament began
Coco Gauff produced a solid performance in the French Open final, and shared an affirmation chit following her win over Aryna Sabalenka.
In a performance defined by belief and grit, Coco Gauff pulled off a remarkable comeback to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final, and now, the tennis world knows the secret she had kept to herself until the job was done. Shortly after lifting her second Grand Slam trophy on Saturday, Gauff shared a handwritten note on Instagram that had clearly become her personal mantra over the past few months.
Scribbled repeatedly on a piece of paper were the words: “I will win French Open 2025… I will be French Open champion 2025.” Alongside it, the 21-year-old American wrote: “Ignore my handwriting but i saw @gabbythomas do this. Had to do the same lol.”
That note, now viral, was inspired by three-time Olympic medalist Gabby Thomas, whose affirmation technique Gauff had stumbled upon and made her own. Gauff delivered by toppling Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in an emotionally charged final on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Gauff after the match
Gauff admitted the win carried a deeper meaning. “I was going through a lot of things when I lost in this final three years ago. A lot of dark thoughts, so it just means a lot to be here,” she said after the match.
“I didn't think honestly that I could do it.”
That 2022 loss to Iga Swiatek had been a formative moment in her career, but this time, Gauff came back stronger, channeling every ounce of belief she had written down.
"I also felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that, when I was younger, that I felt I had the best shot of winning,” she explained. “I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff."
In windy conditions, Gauff's mental composure stood out just as much as her shot-making. Sabalenka, by contrast, racked up 70 unforced errors and admitted the pain was tough to take. “To show such terrible tennis in the final, it does really hurt,” she said.
But for Gauff, this wasn’t just a victory on court — it was the realization of a vision, a goal once imagined and now etched into history.
