Seventh seed Maria Sharapova entered the French Open final looking for her second title at Roland Garros and her fifth major crown. She faced fourth-seeded Simona Halep, playing her debut major final. After one of the more competitive and memorable finals in some time, Sharapova prevailed in 182 minutes 6-4 6-7 6-4.

In the first set, an intense Sharapova fell into a pattern that had arisen recently at Roland Garros. She fell behind early, losing her first service game to Halep. But Sharapova found the ability to successfully maximize her power, reducing the Romanian's quickness advantage. She rattled off five straight games before Halep stopped the bleeding, picking up a break of service of her own to get back into the set. But Sharapova's power and placement prevailed in the 10th game after the Russian overcame Halep's attempt to consolidate her break. She broke serve and captured the first set for the first time since the third round, while Halep lost her first set in the tournament.

The second set witnessed two competitors trading big shot after big shot, with sharp angles moving each around the court. However, with the set tied at 4-4, one point may have summed up the pulse at that moment. A fierce Sharapova battered Halep, keeping the young Romanian on the defensive. But the Russian was unable to find a winner, despite golden opportunities as Halep found a way to not only stay in the point but win it. For Halep, it served as a statement that, despite the Sharapova wave of momentum and power, the former champion would have to earn it.

After four straight breaks of service, the set fittingly went to a tiebreak, where Halep continued to scramble and respond. Despite the fact that Sharapova built a 5-3 lead and could seemingly taste the title, the 22-year-old was not to be denied. Halep forced a third set by winning the next four points and the tiebreak.

In the third set, both players struggled to hold their serve early. Just when it appeared that Sharapova might have felt heavy legs, she was able to dig deep once again and turned the tide, gaining a break advantage. Refusing to go away, Halep leveled the set at 4-4. But in a set and match that treated the Paris crowd to incredible shot-making and defense, the veteran Sharapova found just enough late to swing the set and match in her favor. She broke to lead 5-4 and then served out the final at love.

On match point, a thrilled Sharapova dropped to her knees after a Halep shot fell outside the lines. Afterwards, she had difficulty placing the victory into words. “To think that I’ve won it two times is, I don’t know. So emotional right now, I can’t even talk.” With the victory, Sharapova earned her fifth Grand Slam title and second at Roland Garros. She owns a career Grand Slam, having won all four majors. Her five major titles tie her with a group that includes Martina Hingis and Althea Gibson.

Despite the loss, Halep is one in a group of young players who leads the next generation of potential champions. Her Grand Slam final comes on the heels of an incredible 14-month journey where she has seen her ranking rise from outside the top 50 to world No. 3 when the rankings are updated.

Sharapova gave credit to Halep after the match, “This is the toughest Grand Slam final I’ve ever played. All respect to Simona. I thought she played an unbelievable match today.”

Despite her disappointment, Halep had her eye on the future, “It’s my first Grand Slam speech, so emotionally it’s really difficult for me,” she said, addressing the crowd after the match. “But I wish to have many more. But of course this one will be very special for me all my life.” She later added, “I will take the positives out of this tournament.”

Interestingly, clay has arguably become Sharapova's best surface. She has improved her career record to 132-24 on the terre battue.