Andy Roddick predicts who is going to win the French Open final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka

After two weeks of pulsating action and hundreds of players competing, just two remain in the women’s French Open draw.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are the WTA’s top-two ranked players and they will battle for the title in Saturday’s championship match.

They have been the strongest through the course of the clay court season and both players are going in pursuit of their first title in Paris.

Both Gauff and Sabalenka dropped just one set on the way to the final and it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.

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Andy Roddick thinks Aryna Sabalenka will beat Coco Gauff in the French Open final

Gauff will compete in her second French Open final, three years after she lost at that stage to Iga Swiatek.

She is searching for her second major having come from a set down to defeat Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final.

Sabalenka has advanced to her third successive Grand Slam final and will compete for her first major away from hard courts.

Their head-to-head rivalry is locked at five wins apiece and they always bring the best out of each other. But while making his prediction, Andy Roddick has given Sabalenka the edge.

“I like Sabalenka in the final. I think this match up is really tough because Sabalenka can go through the forehand side,” Roddick said via his ‘Served’ podcast.

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“They are 5-5 in the head to head and 1-1 in Grand Slams. Coco can turn any match into a fight, she is so good at that.

“She is so good at levelling up or levelling down. She is the best bad forehand player in the world. I mean that with the utmost respect. That is what I prided myself on.

“I was like the best of the bad players. My off day was effective, her off day is so good. But it is not going to work if she does not play great against Sabalenka.

“I had Sabalenka and Coco in the final [at first] everyone was saying why are you just going with the seeds and I was like because they are better!”

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Andy Roddick says if the roof will be open or closed in the French Open final and who it will favour

Gauff has struggled at times this season but she has found her form on the clay. She has now become the youngest player to reach the Madrid, Rome and French Open finals in the same season.

Her last two matches were played under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier, and she produced two contrasting performances against Madison Keys and Lois Boisson.

Weather reporters state more unsettled weather on Saturday which could mean the roof will be closed for the French Open final, and Roddick believes that will favour Sabalenka.

“If I am Coco I want it to be weird. I want it to be cold or hot or I want the wind to be blowing at 20mph,” Gauff added. “If Saba is getting a consistent strike on the ball I have to think that favours her. But then again it’s a different tournament, Coco won indoors at World Tour finals.

“I think Sabalenka is favoured with that [the roof] but I think we probably overvalue that. Coco’s ball jumps a little bit more if it’s warm but then Saba’s gets through the court a little bit more. I think if you are Coco you want to make the match into a bit of a gutter ball.

“If you are going toe to toe and it becomes an exhibition of ball striking that favours Sabalenka. Indoors everything is loud, it feels good, it pops. That affects the strike because there is that sensory feedback, that gives Sabalenka the feel goods. So I think Sabalenka wins this tournament.”

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