Gauff Joins Tiafoe in Forgetting Rackets at Roland Garros

Paris, France – American tennis players Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe both reached the second round at Roland Garros on Tuesday, but not without a humorous mishap. Less than three months after Tiafoe famously forgot his racquets for a match, Gauff found herself in a similar situation.

While competing against Olivia Gadecki, Gauff stepped onto the court only to realize she had forgotten her racquets at her hotel. Despite this blunder, she managed to secure a win. In her on-court interview, Gauff reflected on her forgetfulness. “Honestly, as long as I’ve been on Tour, my coach has always put the racquets in the bag before the match because he’s very superstitious,” she said. “I can play with a dirty grip. And so I go on the court and I realize I have no racquets, and I literally just made fun of Frances for it in Madrid. But now I’ll be quiet.”

Tiafoe, the 15th seed in the tournament, was quick to respond on social media. He joked on Instagram, “@cocogauff you gotta get more professional I’d never do something like this. Can’t believe I’m in the same stat line as @bigfoe1998 smh.” Gauff playfully replied to Tiafoe’s comment, showing their friendly rivalry.

The two players will continue their campaigns at Roland Garros, with Tiafoe set to face a former top 10 player in the second round on Wednesday. This matchup will mark their first meeting since 2018, where Tiafoe emerged victorious in Estoril.