Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff started her Roland Garros 2026 campaign with an unexpected detour, as the 22-year-old US tennis star was involved in a minor car crash on her way to the stadium Tuesday.
The incident occurred at a traffic checkpoint. Police instructed Gauff’s driver to advance, but a retractable security pole failed to lower completely. As a result, the vehicle collided with the pole.
Gauff reported feeling a minor impact, causing her to spill the juice she was drinking, but said she was otherwise fine. Still, the collision left the car unuseable, as Gauff and her team hailed a taxi to reach the Roland Garros grounds.
Pre-Match Chaos Fails to Stop Gauff Against Taylor Townsend
However, the pre-match French Open chaos didn't end with the traffic accident.
Shortly before entering Court Philippe-Chatrier, Gauff faced a wardrobe emergency when her dress got snagged. Her physiotherapist helped her to resolve the issue quickly, after an unexpectedly brief preceding match expedited her start time.
Gauff later joked that the chain of events served as a good omen, keeping her from overthinking the impending competition.
"I'm just happy to be here in one piece," she laughed postmatch.
The world No. 4 adjusted quickly on the Grand Slam's clay court, easily winning her first-round match over Taylor Townsend.
Townsend pushed early to build a 3-1 lead, but Gauff recaptured her rhythm, rallying to win nine of the next 10 games before securing a dominant 6-4, 6-0 straight-sets victory.
She will next face Mayar Sherif in the second round of the 2026 French Open.
