Pam Shriver has given World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka a huge boost in confidence ahead of the 2025 French Open final vs Coco Gauff, comparing her to the legendary Martina Navratilova. A win on Saturday against Gauff will give Sabalenka a fourth Grand Slam title, putting her 14 fewer than Navratilova’s tally of 18 singles Majors.
So far at the French Open, Sabalenka has lived up to her favorite tag, taking down three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Coming into Paris, Sabalenka had also won the Madrid Open, coincidentally beating Gauff in the final. On the other hand, Gauff has taken down the likes of Madison Keys and Marie Bouzkova in pursuit of a second Slam title, and first at Roland Garros.
Minutes ahead of the battle, Shriver took to social media to compare Sabalenka to Navratilova, stating that she saw a similarity between the duo’s careers after the first 10 years. The Belarusian broke into the tour in 2015, finishing the year outside the top 350. Since then, she has been on a rising trajectory, becoming World No. 1 for the first time in 2023 and then finishing last year as the top-ranked WTA player in the world.
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Navratilova, meanwhile, made her pro debut in 1974, and became World No. 1 for the first time in 1978. She also won her first Grand Slam title that year, at Wimbledon -- a tournament she went on to win nine times in total.
Shriver wondered if Sabalenka could now do the same and dominate the tour like the American did in her prime during the 1980s.
"Sabalenka’s trajectory in her first 10 years as a pro reminds me of Martina Navratilova’s trajectory. This year we will find out if Sabalenka will dominate for a few years like Martina did in the early to mid 80s," Shriver said.
After finishing 1979 as the World No. 1, Navratilova did it five times in a row next from 1982-1986 and won 12 of the 20 Grand Slams played in this period. She also had an exceptionally long career, continuing to play singles until 1994 before her first retirement.
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are level in their head-to-head record
At the moment, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are level in their head-to-head record, with both players winning five matches each. Although Sabalenka won their most recent clash in Madrid, their previous match-up in a final of a Grand Slam came at the US Open, which went in favor of Gauff.
Gauff is looking to be the first American to win Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015, while Sabalenka is on the hunt to be the first ever Belarusian to win Paris in the Open Era.
