PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff’s French Open debut was briefly interrupted on Tuesday when she appeared on Court Philippe-Chatrier without her rackets.
Looking puzzled, Gauff waited for a ball boy to run out with her mint-colored rackets, which were soon handed to her.
The court announcer lightened the moment, saying, “That’s better,” which sparked laughter and applause from the crowd in the main stadium.
Despite the minor delay, the No. 2 seed swiftly defeated Australia’s Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2 in her opening match.
Gauff, known for her humor, joked about the mix-up, blaming it on her coach.
“Honestly, as long as I’ve been on tour, my coach has always packed the rackets in my bag before a match because he’s superstitious,” Gauff said. “I’m blaming it on him. It’s OK.”
Gadecki also saw the funny side of the incident, quipping, “Now that I think about it, it seems like that was the only way I was going to win the match. It was a funny little moment.”
Gauff, a finalist at Roland-Garros in 2022, remains a strong contender for the title this year.
