Coco Gauff started her 2025 French Open journey with a strong win over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki, defeating her 6-2, 6-2. But the biggest story from her first match wasn’t about how she played. Instead, it was about her forgetting to bring her rackets to the court.
As Gauff walked onto Court Philippe-Chatrier to kick off her campaign, she glanced at her bag and realized something was missing. With a sheepish smile, she pointed toward her team, signaling that she didn’t have her rackets. A ball boy quickly brought them to her, and she got ready to play.
Gauff Jokingly Blames Her Coach for Racket Mishap
In her on-court interview after the match, Gauff laughed about the situation. She said her coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, usually packs her rackets. This time, though, he didn’t, so she jokingly blamed him for the slip-up.
“The culprit is not on the box, because he knows that rackets are supposed to be in my bag,” Gauff said. “Honestly, as long as I’ve been on tour, my coach has always put the rackets in the bag before the match, because he is very superstitious, so he likes to grip each racket new each day.”
Gauff admitted that it was her own responsibility but couldn’t help but laugh at the mistake. She also said she felt bad about making fun of Frances Tiafoe earlier this year when he forgot his rackets at the Madrid Open.
Frances Tiafoe Fires Back with Playful Banter
Not one to let a fun moment go unnoticed, Frances Tiafoe took the chance to poke some fun at Gauff. Earlier this year, Gauff had teased him about forgetting his rackets at Indian Wells. This time, Tiafoe re-shared a clip of Gauff’s mishap on his Instagram story, writing:
“Coco Gauff, you gotta get more professional. I’d never do something like this.”
Gauff replied with a light-hearted comment: “can’t believe I’m in the same stat line as @bigfoe1998 smh.”
The fun didn’t stop there. Tiafoe, who reached the semifinals of the 2024 U.S. Open, brushed off Gauff’s mishap by saying: “It’s all good you did it for the culture.”
Chris Eubanks, another American player, also joined the fun. He shared a clip of Gauff’s earlier comments about Tiafoe on his Instagram story. In the clip, Gauff said Tiafoe probably should have noticed his bag was too light to have any rackets in it.
“See man… this how I know you really just be saying anything @cocogauff,” Eubanks wrote.
Gauff responded by re-sharing Eubanks’ post and adding: “I think I did defend him and say it was probably the coach’s fault! But you won’t post that clip ha?”
Gauff Focused on Next Challenge
While the playful banter made headlines, Gauff remains focused on her next match. She will face Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in the second round of the French Open.
Valentova, just 18 years old, overcame wild card Chloe Paquet in a thrilling first-round match. She rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Valentova, who won the junior title in Paris last year, qualified for her first main draw and is eager to keep her momentum going.
This will be the first time Gauff and Valentova meet on the professional tour. The winner of their match will take on either Sonay Kartal or Marie Bouzkova in the next round.
Gauff has had a solid start to the clay season and looks poised to make another deep run at Roland Garros. She’s reached the final before and has the game to do it again. Even though she had a small hiccup forgetting her rackets, her performance on the court shows she’s ready to go far.
The banter between Gauff, Tiafoe, and Eubanks just adds a little fun to the intense atmosphere of the French Open. And for fans, it’s another reminder that even the best players have lighthearted moments.
