World No. 2 Coco Gauff’s 2025 French Open journey got off to a comedic start when the reigning champion stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier without her tennis racquets.
Decked out in an ash-gray dress and ready to face Australia’s Olivia Gadecki in her opening-round match, Gauff confidently unzipped her tennis bag only to discover it was packed with everything except her racquets.
As the realization hit, she rummaged through each compartment, disbelief spreading across her face. Cameras captured her animated gestures toward her team and an amused Gadecki, while the crowd buzzed with curiosity.
No racket, no tennis 🤭
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
L'entrée de Coco Gauff sans ses raquettes de match, c'est le troisième instant détente avec Hespéride ! #Hesperide #MyHesperide pic.twitter.com/YzazW4dyEF
Gauff’s post-match antics that truly stole the spotlight. Hours after the win, she posted a photo of a handwritten “To-Do List” to her social media cleverly titled “French Open Round 1: Survival Kit”.
The list read:
Tie Shoes
Pack Clothes
Arrange Fruit Salad
Put Tennis Racquets in Bag
Only the final item remained unchecked.
“Oops, forgot the last one,” she captioned the post,
oops, forgot the last one pic.twitter.com/ajqcgFg6mn
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 27, 2025
Coco Gauff breaks Serena Williams record
After the chaotic start, she breezed through the match, defeating Gadecki 6-2, 6-2 with her trademark firepower from the baseline and growing confidence at the net. The win secured her spot in the second round, where she’ll face 17-year-old Czech upstart Tereza Valentova.
At just 21, Gauff also made history becoming the youngest American in the Open Era to notch 20 match wins at Roland Garros, surpassing the previous record held by her idol, Serena Williams.
Williams, who won 20 matches at Roland Garros when she was just a couple of months shy of her 22nd birthday.
Gauff is no stranger to the French Open. She played her first final of a major tournament in 2022, although she lost that match against Poland's Iga Swiatek. Last year, she reached the semifinals before falling to the same opponent
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