Paolini suffers again as Gauff and Siniakova win French Open

Coco Gauff (20) and Katerina Siniakova (28) secured the French Open women’s doubles title on Sunday with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over Italians Sara Errani (37) and Jasmine Paolini (28), just a day after Paolini’s devastating loss in the singles final. This triumph marked Siniakova’s eighth women’s Grand Slam doubles title and Gauff’s first.

The pairing of Gauff and Siniakova was a last-minute decision, formed just days before the tournament began after Gauff’s regular partner, Jessica Pegula, withdrew.

“Thank you, Katerina, for playing with me, we decided to do it two days before the tournament started,” said Gauff, who was a doubles finalist at the 2022 French Open. “It was very last minute, I wasn’t planning on playing doubles, so thank you for asking me.”

Match Highlights

The match’s first hour saw significant serving struggles for Errani and Siniakova, with each being broken twice, leading to a tiebreaker for the first set. Paolini and Errani initially took a 5-3 lead in the tiebreaker, but Siniakova’s elevated performance turned the tide, favouring her and Gauff.

The Italians began the second set with vigour, securing four break points in the first game. However, Gauff and Siniakova fought back for a crucial hold, subsequently breaking to take a 2-0 lead. This momentum shift seemed to deflate Errani and Paolini, and despite their efforts to bring the set back on serve twice, Gauff and Siniakova broke once more to lead 5-3. Gauff, overcoming recent struggles with her revamped serve, showed no nerves and secured the win.

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Paolini, who had suffered a 6-2, 6-1 defeat to Iga Swiatek in the singles final the previous day, appeared dejected.

“It’s been two very intense weeks for me, very nice but very emotional,” said Paolini. “I have a lot of memories and I can’t wait to be back here.”

Gauff’s victory also served as a form of revenge against Paolini and Errani, who had defeated Gauff and her Australian partner Erin Routliffe in the Italian Open final in Rome last month.

Despite the defeat, five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Errani remains optimistic about their future, particularly their aspirations for the Paris Olympics. “We’ll be here in one month. We have a dream, and it’ll be special to play the Olympics in this place,” said Errani.

Match Summary:

• Score: Gauff/Siniakova defeated Errani/Paolini 7-6(5), 6-3
• Gauff’s Reaction: Grateful to Siniakova for the last-minute partnership
• Errani/Paolini’s Efforts: Strong start but ultimately outpaced in crucial moments
• Paolini’s Week: Emotional and intense, looking forward to returning
• Olympic Aspirations: Errani and Paolini eyeing Paris Olympics despite setback

This win marks an important milestone for Gauff and adds another prestigious title to Siniakova’s impressive doubles career.