Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic are back in force: they won the Roland-Garros doubles tournament for the second time after 2016, against the Americans Coco Gauff, already finalist the day before in singles, and Jessica Pegula, 2 -6, 6-3, 6-2. “We already had the chance to experience this six years ago, it’s been a long time… I’m very happy to team up with Kristina again, and Roland-Garros, there is no better title for us! Garcia called out. “Winning this title with you is the dream and I thank you,” confirmed Mladenovic, who has also won four other Grand Slam titles in doubles, including two at Roland-Garros (2019 and 2020), teaming up with the Hungarian Timea Babos.
Les Tricolores, who had not played doubles together on the circuit since 2017, reformed at the start of the year for the Australian Open (eliminated in the 2nd round) their victorious pair from the 2019 Fed Cup. their ranking should not have allowed them to play the tournament. So Mladenovic did not fail to thank “the FFT and Amélie (Mauresmo, the tournament director) for giving us a wild card, otherwise we would not have won Roland-Garros”. “Caro and Kiki”, as cheered on by the public, returned to the Parisian grand slam final for the first time since 2016. They were dominated in the first set.
But pushed by “Allez les Bleues”, as in the Fed Cup, or Billie Jean King Cup as the women’s national team competition is now called, they led 4-0 in the second set. “You helped us come back after the first set. Me, you also gave me chills and that helped me less! said Garcia to the audience.
The Americans, who were teaming for the first time in a grand slam, came back to 4-3, but the French played 6 games in a row to tie a set all and again come away 4-0 in the decisive set. This time, the French played tight and left no hope to their opponents, concluding on Mladenovic’s serve on the third match point, with a furious smash from Garcia.
Delighted, Mladenovic did not forget the course of her opponents in singles: “Having both lost against Iga (Swiatek, the world number one), we can say that you have gone to the end of your tournament “, joked the Frenchwoman in reference to the level at which the Pole plays who has won the last six tournaments she has played. Pegula was eliminated by Swiatek in the quarter-finals and Gauff was defeated in the final. “Coco, leaving Roland-Garros with two trophies, at 18, my congratulations,” added Mladenovic.
