Roland Garros 2024: Coco Gauff wins first Grand Slam doubles title

Coco Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion after adding a Roland Garros doubles title to the US Open singles crown she won last summer. The third time was the charm in major doubles finals for the American, who teamed with Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic to win the Paris trophy on Sunday.

A runner-up at the 2021 US Open with Caty McNally and at Roland Garros in 2022 with longtime partner Jessica Pegula, Gauff joined forced with Siniakova just before the tournament with Pegula out injured. The first-time pair claimed the title with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory against Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.

"Doubles, I definitely didn't think it would happen to me, to be frank," Gauff said in her post-match presser. "I think that was one of the few times in my life after I lost the first two finals, I thought, well, OK, I reached that point, maybe I should focus on singles.

"I think it's just one of those things that when you least expect it to happen, it happens. Same thing, US Open, when I won it, I didn't expect to win. I was having a really bad year. Then here, I didn't even expect to play. I think it's funny how life teaches you those lessons that sometimes it's better just to be relaxed and the good things will happen."

Gauff and Siniakova lost just one set in the tournament, in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 semifinal win against eighth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk. They beat seeded opponents in each of the last four rounds.

Siniakova, who owns a career Golden Slam, won her eighth major doubles title. The Czech had previously paired with Aussie Storm Hunter and American Taylor Townsend this season. But with both absent at Roland Garros due to injury, Townsend set up the partnership between Siniakova and Gauff.

Gauff was the only player not to lose serve in the final. In a one-hour, 47-minute match, the fifth-seeded champions won the last four points of the first-set tiebreak to win it from 5-3 down, then took a 4-1 lead in the second frame. Their Italian opponents got back on serve at 4-3, but one final spurt earned Gauff and Siniakova the title.

"It was a great tournament," Gauff reflected. "Every match I think we played really well, even when we weren't playing so well we found a way to get out of it.

"For sure the last two matches were the toughest of the tournament, but we both did a good job of just staying calm and being aggressive and playing our tennis. She did a good job of winning those long rallies. That was tough today."

Gauff also reached the singles semifinals in Paris before bowing out against eventual champion Iga Swiatek. Paolini advanced to the singles final, her first major title match, but was also turned back by the world No. 1.