Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff had an unexpectedly chaotic start to her title defense on Tuesday, May 26, after revealing she was involved in what she described as a “mini car accident” while heading to Roland Garros. Despite the disruption, the 22-year-old star still handled business on the court, defeating fellow American Taylor Townsend in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, to advance to the second round in Paris.
Gauff shared details of the incident during an interview with TNT Sports after the match, explaining that the vehicle she was riding in struck a pole on the way to the tournament grounds. “We got in a mini car accident on my way to the site today,” Gauff said with a laugh. “We ran into a pole. You felt a little impact. I spilled my juice all over the car.”
According to Gauff, the vehicle was left undrivable, forcing her team to call a taxi to make it to the stadium.
The eventful morning didn’t end there. Gauff also said she dealt with a wardrobe issue moments before stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier after her match time was unexpectedly moved up due to a retirement in an earlier contest.
“Right before I went onto court, my dress got stuck, so my physio was in the bathroom trying to help me take it off,” she said. “It was an eventful day. But I feel like whenever that happens, it lets you not think about the match too much. I’m just happy to be here in one piece.”
Once play began, Gauff looked locked in. Although her stat line included five double faults and just one ace, she consistently controlled points when her first serve landed.
Townsend struggled to keep pace, particularly on serve, converting only 53 percent of her first-serve attempts while failing to pressure Gauff during rallies. The second set turned into a rout, with Gauff closing the match without dropping a game.
The win also continued Gauff’s trend in Paris. During her 2025 championship run, she didn’t lose a set until the quarterfinals and ultimately defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final to capture her first French Open title.
Gauff followed the opening performance by defeating Egypt’s Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday, May 28, to advance to the third round. Gauff previously defeated Sherif in their only prior meeting.
