Coco Gauff Reveals the Take-Home French Open Trophy

We're all guilty of a little embellishing from time to time. But the French Tennis Federation has some explaining to do. On June 7, Coco Gauff officially won the French Open, beating opponent Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final. In the midst of her celebration, Gauff proudly posed next to a massive silver trophy. The shining silver cup (called the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy) looked heavy in her hands. But as the champion later revealed, the one she actually got to take home was a bit different from the one she held on the court.

“This is the trophy that you guys see — the one that we take pictures with, do press with, and all that, but actually, we don't get to take this home,” Gauff says in a TikTok posted on June 8. In actuality, the large trophy athletes hold on TV stays with the French Tennis Federation year after year. Instead, winners are sent home with their own smaller version . . . like much smaller. “It's like a mini replica,” Gauff explains, showing off her tiny trophy on TikTok. For a better size comparison, she puts the trophy up against her mini Perrier bottle (which typically stands at around 5.75 inches). The trophy is only a little taller.

“Not the sippy cup for the CHAMPION.”

There's a few reasons why Gauff (and other winners before her) aren't allowed to take the actual trophy home. Namely, the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen is considered a “perpetual trophy,” which means the original is meant to be kept, preserved, and displayed. Another important note is that the actual trophy is fashioned with an enormous amount of silver. For reference, the Musketeers' cup — awarded to the male winner of the French Open — is made with roughly 31 pounds of silver). That's a whole lot of metal.

The replicas, albeit smaller and significantly less valuable, are made from the same jewelry house, Mellerio dits Meller. Champions also have their names engraved on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, where it can continue to be protected and safely displayed for years to come.

Still, commenters were equal parts amused and taken aback by Gauff's candid reveal. “Not the sippy cup for the CHAMPION,” one person writes. “That's disappointing as hell,” another says. But for Gauff, it's the title that matters — not the size of the trophy. “That's how small it is, but it's the memories that matter the most,” she says on TikTok. On the bright side, the take-home trophy is surprisingly portable, lightweight, and, dare we say practical? In all honesty, maybe it's better that it's on the smaller side. That way it won't take up too much space as Gauff continues to dominate.

Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.