The 2025 French Open kicked off with a moment of pure comedy gold on Court Philippe-Chatrier, as world No. 2 Coco Gauff inadvertently left her tennis racquets behind before her first-round match against Australia’s Olivia Gadecki. The 21-year-old American, a former Roland Garros finalist and 2024 doubles champion, turned heads not just with her commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory, but with a sheepish grin and an empty racquet bag that sparked laughter across the Parisian crowd. “Honestly, I thought they put the rackets in the bag, and my side court bag is filled with drinks and everything,” Gauff told Sloane Stephens in a post-match interview on TNT, her tone light but tinged with mock exasperation. “So it felt like I had enough weight. 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 racquets.’”
The blunder unfolded as Gauff, dressed in an ash-colored outfit, strode onto the iconic clay court, only to discover her bag contained everything but her essential tools. Gesturing to her team in the stands, she flashed the empty bag to Gadecki, who couldn’t suppress a chuckle. A quick-thinking ball boy saved the day, sprinting onto the court with half a dozen racquets, allowing Gauff to refocus and deliver a masterclass. “Usually JC (coach Jean-Christophe Faurel) puts them in,” she added, playfully shifting the blame to her coach, whose superstitious routine of packing her bag had gone awry. The lighthearted moment, captured in a viral video, showcased Gauff’s ability to laugh off mishaps and stay composed under pressure, a trait that has defined her meteoric rise since her 2019 Wimbledon breakthrough at age 15.
Gauff’s performance was anything but forgetful. Despite the delayed start, she surged to a 3-0 lead in the first set, her aggressive backhand and lightning-fast footwork overwhelming Gadecki, ranked No. 91, in her Roland Garros main-draw debut. After dropping her serve briefly, Gauff battled back to claim the set and continued her dominance with another 3-0 run in the second, securing six consecutive games to wrap up the match in just over an hour. “I made the (Rome) final with those errors, maybe not playing my best tennis,” she reflected, referencing her recent clay-court finals in Madrid and Rome, where double faults plagued her game. “It just gives me confidence, if I can find that good form heading into Roland Garros, I can do well there.”
The 2025 French Open marks a pivotal moment for Gauff, who is chasing her second Grand Slam singles title after her 2023 US Open triumph. Her clay-court pedigree is undeniable—since her 2020 debut, she has reached at least the quarterfinals in every Roland Garros appearance except her first, including a 2022 final loss to Iga Swiatek. This year, with Swiatek’s form wavering and Aryna Sabalenka as the top seed, Gauff sees an open draw. “I would definitely think it’s pretty open,” she said, naming Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, and Mirra Andreeva as threats. Her recent 6-1, 6-1 dismantling of Swiatek in Madrid, a rare victory in their 4-11 head-to-head, has bolstered her belief. “I know that if I want to win that tournament, I have to probably beat her, most likely,” she admitted, acknowledging Swiatek’s clay-court dominance.
Gauff’s clay-season momentum, with 11 wins from 14 matches, including four top-10 victories, positions her as a favorite. However, her serve remains a work in progress, with 193 double faults in 2025, the most on the WTA Tour. “With the double-faults, it’s something I know I have to improve and do better,” she said after her Rome final loss to Paolini. Under new coach Matt Daly, Gauff has tweaked her grip and serve motion, aiming to harness her athleticism and heavy topspin forehand on clay. “I think especially with how heavy I hit on my forehand side, I definitely think it helps enhance that,” she noted, crediting her comfort on the surface to her 2018 Roland Garros girls’ title at age 14.
As she prepares to face either Chloé Paquet or Tereza Valentova in the second round, Gauff’s racquet mishap has endeared her further to fans, who see her as both a fierce competitor and a relatable 21-year-old. Her ability to rebound from the blunder mirrors her resilience in the face of past challenges, like her emotional 2024 semifinal loss to Swiatek, where a disputed call left her in tears. “I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person,” she said then, advocating for video review. With a favorable draw and renewed confidence, Gauff’s Roland Garros campaign is off to a winning—if hilariously chaotic—start, proving she’s ready to chase the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen with or without her racquets in tow.
# Coco Gauff’s Hilarious Racquet Blunder Steals the Show in Dominant French Open 2025 Opener
The 2025 French Open kicked off with a moment of pure comedy gold on Court Philippe-Chatrier, as world No. 2 Coco Gauff inadvertently left her tennis racquets behind before her first-round match against Australia’s Olivia Gadecki. The 21-year-old American, a former Roland Garros finalist and 2024 doubles champion, turned heads not just with her commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory, but with a sheepish grin and an empty racquet bag that sparked laughter across the Parisian crowd. “Honestly, I thought they put the rackets in the bag, and my side court bag is filled with drinks and everything,” Gauff told Sloane Stephens in a post-match interview on TNT, her tone light but tinged with mock exasperation. “So it felt like I had enough weight. 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 racquets.’”
The blunder unfolded as Gauff, dressed in an ash-colored outfit, strode onto the iconic clay court, only to discover her bag contained everything but her essential tools. Gesturing to her team in the stands, she flashed the empty bag to Gadecki, who couldn’t suppress a chuckle. A quick-thinking ball boy saved the day, sprinting onto the court with half a dozen racquets, allowing Gauff to refocus and deliver a masterclass. “Usually JC (coach Jean-Christophe Faurel) puts them in,” she added, playfully shifting the blame to her coach, whose superstitious routine of packing her bag had gone awry. The lighthearted moment, captured in a viral video, showcased Gauff’s ability to laugh off mishaps and stay composed under pressure, a trait that has defined her meteoric rise since her 2019 Wimbledon breakthrough at age 15.
Gauff’s performance was anything but forgetful. Despite the delayed start, she surged to a 3-0 lead in the first set, her aggressive backhand and lightning-fast footwork overwhelming Gadecki, ranked No. 91, in her Roland Garros main-draw debut. After dropping her serve briefly, Gauff battled back to claim the set and continued her dominance with another 3-0 run in the second, securing six consecutive games to wrap up the match in just over an hour. “I made the (Rome) final with those errors, maybe not playing my best tennis,” she reflected, referencing her recent clay-court finals in Madrid and Rome, where double faults plagued her game. “It just gives me confidence, if I can find that good form heading into Roland Garros, I can do well there.”
The 2025 French Open marks a pivotal moment for Gauff, who is chasing her second Grand Slam singles title after her 2023 US Open triumph. Her clay-court pedigree is undeniable—since her 2020 debut, she has reached at least the quarterfinals in every Roland Garros appearance except her first, including a 2022 final loss to Iga Swiatek. This year, with Swiatek’s form wavering and Aryna Sabalenka as the top seed, Gauff sees an open draw. “I would definitely think it’s pretty open,” she said, naming Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, and Mirra Andreeva as threats. Her recent 6-1, 6-1 dismantling of Swiatek in Madrid, a rare victory in their 4-11 head-to-head, has bolstered her belief. “I know that if I want to win that tournament, I have to probably beat her, most likely,” she admitted, acknowledging Swiatek’s clay-court dominance.
Gauff’s clay-season momentum, with 11 wins from 14 matches, including four top-10 victories, positions her as a favorite. However, her serve remains a work in progress, with 193 double faults in 2025, the most on the WTA Tour. “With the double-faults, it’s something I know I have to improve and do better,” she said after her Rome final loss to Paolini. Under new coach Matt Daly, Gauff has tweaked her grip and serve motion, aiming to harness her athleticism and heavy topspin forehand on clay. “I think especially with how heavy I hit on my forehand side, I definitely think it helps enhance that,” she noted, crediting her comfort on the surface to her 2018 Roland Garros girls’ title at age 14.
As she prepares to face either Chloé Paquet or Tereza Valentova in the second round, Gauff’s racquet mishap has endeared her further to fans, who see her as both a fierce competitor and a relatable 21-year-old. Her ability to rebound from the blunder mirrors her resilience in the face of past challenges, like her emotional 2024 semifinal loss to Swiatek, where a disputed call left her in tears. “I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person,” she said then, advocating for video review. With a favorable draw and renewed confidence, Gauff’s Roland Garros campaign is off to a winning—if hilariously chaotic—start, proving she’s ready to chase the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen with or without her racquets in tow.
[](https://www.olympics.com/en/news/roland-garros-2025-coco-gauff-opens-french-open-round-one-result)[](https://www.livemint.com/sports/tennis-news/french-open-2025-coco-gauff-forgets-rackets-at-roland-garros-later-wins-round-1-clash-against-olivia-gadecki-watch-11748356381540.html)[](https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/french-open-2025-drama-ensues-coco-gauff-forgets-to-bring-rackets-but-still-wins-101748355598340.html)
When you forget your rackets 😅 @CocoGauff pic.twitter.com/bG3hbaTuWW
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 27, 2025
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