Coco Gauff made an unusual and humorous start to her 2025 French Open campaign by stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier without one essential item her rackets. Despite the mishap, the American second seed remained unfazed, breezing past Australia’s Olivia Gadecki in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the second round.
The error became apparent just moments before the match began. Gauff, carrying her equipment bag with apparent confidence, opened it courtside only to discover that the rackets were missing. Looking slightly bemused but maintaining her composure, she informed the chair umpire of the oversight. A quick dash by a ballboy to the locker room resolved the situation, and the rackets were delivered with minimal delay.
Reflecting on the incident after the match, Gauff admitted that she had assumed everything was in place. Her side court bag, filled with drinks and other gear, felt heavy enough to give the impression that the rackets were packed. “I opened the first zipper and didn’t see anything. Then the second zipper and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I went on court with no racquets,’” she said, recounting the moment with a smile.
The 20-year-old, who captured her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, was quick to shift the blame in a playful manner. She jokingly pointed fingers at her coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, suggesting that he had always taken care of packing the rackets because of his superstitions. “Honestly, as long as I’ve been on tour, my coach has always put the rackets in the bag before the match. I’m blaming it on my coach. It’s OK,” she said with a laugh.
Despite the hiccup, Gauff remained composed once the match began. Her aggressive groundstrokes, sharp movement, and strong serve quickly overwhelmed Gadecki, a qualifier making her French Open main draw debut. The American dominated from the baseline and closed out both sets efficiently, never allowing her opponent to find rhythm or confidence.
This victory marked a confident start to Gauff’s quest for a maiden Roland-Garros title. She previously reached the final in Paris in 2022, only to fall short against world No 1 Iga Świątek. While Gauff had initially struggled in her head-to-head against Świątek, losing 11 of their first 12 meetings, recent performances have seen a shift, with Gauff winning their last three encounters in straight sets.
Equipment mix-ups are not unheard of in professional tennis, and Gauff’s moment of forgetfulness is part of a broader tradition of occasional player lapses. Caroline Wozniacki, a former world No 1 and current tennis analyst, shared her own anecdote, recalling a time she made it halfway to the US Open before realizing she had forgotten her entire gear bag, including rackets and shoes. “That’s a long detour,” she remarked.
For Gauff, the incident serves as a lighthearted reminder that even the best players can have forgetful moments. What matters more is how they recover—and in Gauff’s case, she did so in commanding fashion. As she continues her campaign in Paris, the memory of her racket-less entrance may become just another quirky footnote in what could be a deep run at the French Open.
