French Open 2026: Coco Gauff battles past Taylor Townsend in first round

Reigning champion Coco Gauff opened her Roland-Garros 2026 title defence on Tuesday (26 May), battling past compatriot Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-0 in the first round in Paris.

“Taylor and I have known each other for so long, this is I think our first match on tour. So, we know each other off the court, but on the court, not so well," Gauff said on court afterwards.

"I’ve watched her play so many times but everybody plays every person different, so I didn’t really know what to expect. My team gave me a good plan and I felt like I executed it well. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Taylor.”

The match got off to a rocky start for the two-time Grand Slam tennis champion.

Gauff was broken in the opening game of the first set, falling behind until she levelled at 3-3. She consolidated the break for a 4-3 lead and broke again when Townsend sent one long while serving at 30-40.

Nerves appeared to creep in as the defending champion served for the set at 5-3. Gauff had two double faults and two aces in a game that saw Townsend fail to convert three break points. On the fourth, Townsend came up with a backhand winner to finally take the game.

Townsend then served at 4-5, needing to hold to stay in the match. It was another tight game that saw Gauff set up a set point with a backhand winner of her own, only to have Townsend respond and push the game to deuce.

Two unforced errors from Townsend handed the opening set to Gauff.

By the time the second set got underway, the defending champion had found her groove. She rushed through the second set, taking it 6-0.

Despite temperatures nearing 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit), the Florida-native was in her comfort zone.

“This is nothing – shout out Del Ray Beach,” Gauff said with a laugh. “The reason I was using the ice was because my physio, before I went on court, she was like, ‘Can you please use the ice today,’ because she knows I probably wouldn’t. So, I listened to the instructions and used the ice.

“Honestly, I felt more bad for the fans, I was like, ‘Dang, you’re watching us play in this heat. It’s kinda tough,” Gauff continued. “I think the best part of the heat is on my serve, I feel like it helps my ball bounce a lot more.”

Gauff will face qualifier Mayar Sherif of Egypt in the second round.

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