Coco Gauff Forgets Racquets But Still Wins: A Comical Start, A Commanding Finish

Gauff laughs off forgotten racquets before breezing past Gadecki at French Open

You’d expect most professional tennis players to arrive on court fully equipped. Shoes? Check. Wristbands? Check. Racquets? You’d think so. But even world number two Coco Gauff isn’t immune to the occasional brain lapse.

On Tuesday afternoon at Roland Garros, the 2023 US Open champion walked onto court Philippe Chatrier ready for her opening-round match against Australia’s Olivia Gadecki… only to discover a rather crucial item was missing from her bag. No racquets.

And yet, despite the comic prelude, Gauff delivered a no-nonsense performance once play began. The 21-year-old needed just 71 minutes to swat aside Gadecki 6-2, 6-2, underlining her credentials as one of the leading contenders for this year’s French Open title.

“OK, No Racquets!” – Gauff’s Pre-Match Panic

The moment was caught on camera and quickly went viral. Gauff, with a mix of panic and amusement, rifled through her bag courtside only to realise it contained drinks, wristbands, towels — everything except the tools of her trade.

“I thought they put the racquets in the bag,” Gauff explained later, grinning during her post-match interview. “My side court bag is filled with drinks, so it felt like I had enough weight. Then I got on court, opened the first zipper and I was like, ‘OK, no racquets.’ Second zipper… ‘Oh my God. I went on court with no racquets.’”

It could have been a nightmare start for many players. But Gauff simply raised her hands to her team in the stands, displayed the empty sections of her bag, and burst into laughter. The moment even earned a smile from her opponent, Gadecki, before a ball kid arrived with the forgotten frames.

“I made fun of Frances Tiafoe for doing the same thing in Madrid,” Gauff said. “Now I guess I’ll have to be quiet.”

Business As Usual Once The Match Began

A picture of Coco Gauff ‘to do list’

Once the racquets were in her hands, Gauff wasted no time asserting control. She struck cleanly from the baseline, mixed heavy topspin with flat winners, and overwhelmed Gadecki with a combination of court coverage and power.

Gauff broke early in both sets and never looked threatened, hitting her stride immediately after the bizarre start.

“The most important thing is to play with a racquet,” she joked after the match. “So I was getting through the first step! Honestly, it probably relaxed me going into the match because it was such a funny thing. I’m just happy to get through and I will definitely remember my racquets next time.”

Andreeva Doesn’t Like Mornings, But She Loves Winning

Meanwhile, over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva continued to solidify her reputation as one of the game’s brightest rising stars.

Playing her first Grand Slam as a top-10 seed, the young Russian recovered from a sluggish start to beat Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-3 in Tuesday’s early session.

But if you think early matches are ideal for eager teenagers, think again. “Honestly, it was very difficult,” Andreeva said. “I’m not really happy because I don’t like to wake up early.”

The match began at 11:00 local time, meaning Andreeva had to rise at 6:40am to start her day — a timeline she shared with comic precision.

“I had 35 minutes to pack my bags and do everything. Then 25 minutes to have breakfast, 30 minutes to get to the venue, and 11 minutes in the locker room. Then warm-up, and straight to court. It is very well planned,” she said, only half-joking.

Her displeasure at the early start didn’t stop her from producing high-quality tennis. After trailing by two breaks in the first set, Andreeva settled down, found her rhythm, and took control of the match.

Jabeur’s French Open Ends Early As Pegula Progresses

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the seeds on Tuesday. Tunisian star and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur suffered a shock early exit, going down 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Jabeur has struggled to find form and consistency in recent months, and this loss — especially the second set bagel — will be a painful one.

In contrast, third seed Jessica Pegula had a far more straightforward outing. The American breezed into the second round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Romania’s Anca Todoni. Pegula, known for her methodical style and court intelligence, was never troubled during the 84-minute contest.

Medvedev Joins The Morning Misery Club

Andreeva may not like early mornings, but at least she won. World number 11 Daniil Medvedev, who has often voiced his dislike for early starts, joked before the tournament that he might “boycott” morning matches altogether.

As it turned out, he probably wishes he had. Medvedev was knocked out in five sets by Britain’s Cameron Norrie in one of the most gripping matches of the day.

Gauff, watching from afar, might just agree that some days start in chaos but end in triumph — especially if you remember to pack the essentials.