On a sun-drenched Tuesday at the 2025 French Open, Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and one of America’s brightest tennis stars, stepped onto the iconic clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier with confidence. The 21-year-old was poised to kick off her campaign against Australia’s Olivia Gadecki, a relatively unheralded opponent ranked No. 91. Gauff, a 2022 Roland Garros finalist and 2023 US Open champion, was among the favorites to lift the women’s title. But before a single ball was struck, an unexpected mishap turned the spotlight on her for all the wrong reasons—she had forgotten her rackets.
As Gauff unzipped her equipment bag to prepare for the warm-up, her expression shifted from focus to disbelief. The bag was empty of the one tool essential to her trade. With a sheepish grin, she turned to her team in the stands, holding up the vacant bag as if to say, “Rackets?” The crowd erupted in laughter, and even Gadecki, her opponent, shared a smile at the absurdity of the moment. A ball boy quickly came to the rescue, sprinting onto the court with a bundle of Gauff’s mint-colored rackets. “That’s better,” the court announcer quipped, drawing applause and easing the tension.
Reflecting on the blunder post-match, Gauff didn’t shy away from the humor. “Honestly, I thought they put the rackets in the bag. My side court bag is filled with drinks, so it felt like I had enough weight,” she told reporters, her tone light but tinged with embarrassment. “Then I got on court, and I opened the first zipper. I was like, ‘OK, no rackets.’ The second zipper… ‘Oh my God. I went on court with no rackets.’” The incident, while minor, delayed the start of the match briefly, but Gauff’s composure remained unshaken. She went on to dominate Gadecki, securing a 6-2, 6-2 victory in just 71 minutes, showcasing her blistering groundstrokes and relentless athleticism on the clay.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Gauff, who had recently teased compatriot Frances Tiafoe for a similar gaffe at Indian Wells earlier in the year. Tiafoe had also forgotten his rackets, prompting Gauff to poke fun at his forgetfulness. “I literally just made fun of Frances for it in Madrid,” she admitted with a laugh. “Now I’ll be quiet.” Gauff playfully shifted the blame to her coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, noting his superstitious habit of regripping her rackets daily. “The culprit is not in the box, because he knows the rackets are supposed to be in my bag,” she said. “As long as I’ve been on tour, my coach has always put the rackets in the bag before the match because he’s very superstitious. I’m blaming it on my coach, so it’s OK.”
Despite the lighthearted moment, Gauff’s performance underscored why she’s a formidable contender at Roland Garros. Her 20-5 career record on the Parisian clay, coupled with her 2018 junior title at the tournament, speaks to her comfort on the surface. This season, she’s been in scintillating form, reaching finals at the Madrid and Italian Opens and notching a 6-1, 6-1 upset over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Madrid. Her speed and defensive prowess make her a nightmare for opponents, as Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva noted: “Coco, she’s very, very athletic. It’s kind of tough to finish the point playing aggressively against her, because she’s always there, running for every ball.”
The racket mishap wasn’t Gauff’s only brush with embarrassment in recent weeks. At the Italian Open, she inadvertently served while her opponent, Qinwen Zheng, was off the court, sparking laughter from the crowd. And at the Australian Open, she shared a bit too much about her Marvel-inspired outfit, blushing as she clarified a comment about using the bathroom in it. These moments, however, only endear her to fans, revealing a relatable, human side to a player often burdened with lofty expectations.
As Gauff advances to the second round to face Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova, she carries not just her rackets but the weight of ambition. With Swiatek’s dominance wavering and a wide-open women’s draw, Gauff sees opportunity. “Literally anybody can win this tournament,” she said, naming contenders like Aryna Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, and Zheng Qinwen. Her focus, though, remains inward. “I’m feeling really good—and I feel I have a lot to improve on, too,” she noted. “When you’re winning matches and you still feel like you have a whole ceiling to reach, it just makes you feel good.”
Gauff’s journey at Roland Garros is about more than overcoming a forgotten bag. It’s about rewriting her story on clay, where Swiatek has been a persistent roadblock, defeating her in the 2022 final, 2023 quarterfinals, and 2024 semifinals. With a renewed sense of freedom and a knack for turning mishaps into motivation, Gauff is poised to chase her first French Open title—and perhaps a few laughs along the way.
# Coco Gauff’s French Open Faux Pas: Forgetting Rackets but Winning Hearts
## The Mishap
On May 27, 2025, Coco Gauff, the world No. 2, stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier for her French Open first-round match against Olivia Gadecki. Before the match could begin, Gauff realized she had forgotten her rackets, leading to a humorous moment where she displayed her empty bag to her team. A ball boy quickly delivered her rackets, and the crowd laughed as the announcer quipped, “That’s better.”
## The Match
Despite the gaffe, Gauff dominated Gadecki, winning 6-2, 6-2 in 71 minutes. Her performance highlighted her clay-court prowess, with six break points converted and relentless athleticism.
## Quotes and Context
Gauff attributed the oversight to her coach’s superstitious routine: “The culprit is not in the box, because he knows the rackets are supposed to be in my bag.” She humorously noted, “I literally just made fun of Frances [Tiafoe] for it in Madrid. Now I’ll be quiet.” Gauff’s bag felt heavy due to drinks, leading to the oversight: “I opened the first zipper. I was like, ‘OK, no rackets.’ The second zipper… ‘Oh my God. I went on court with no rackets.’”
## Looking Ahead
Gauff, a 2022 finalist, faces Tereza Valentova next. With a 20-5 Roland Garros record and recent finals in Madrid and Rome, she’s a title contender in an open draw. Her ability to laugh off mistakes and focus on growth—“I feel I have a lot to improve on”—makes her a fan favorite and a force on clay.
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