Coco Gauff’s 2025 French Open title defense got off to a great start on Tuesday. Gauff defeated fellow American Taylor Townsend in straight sets (6-4, 6-0) in the first round.
Gauff entered the match as the favorite, but there was no guarantee she would emerge victorious. Gauff lost her only meeting with Townsend in 2019.
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But Gauff has grown a lot since then, and she proved it with a quick win against Townsend on Tuesday.
From a numbers standpoint, it wasn’t a landslide win for Gauff, who only had one ace and five double faults in the match. But when she was able to serve, Gauff was able to win points at a high clip.
Townsend, on the other hand, struggled with his serve, hitting just 53 percent of his first serves. In those situations, Townsend relaxed and tried to make sure the ball was in play. Although her double faults were limited, Townsend’s inability to fully challenge Gauff also led to a decline in Townsend’s serve rate.
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Gauff sent Olivia Gadecki in the first round last year and had a similarly strong performance (6-2, 6-2). At the 2025 French Open, Gauff didn’t drop a set until the quarterfinals, when Madison Keys finally forced Gauff to a three-set match. Aryna Sabalenka was the only player to take a set from Gauff at last year’s French Open.
With Tuesday’s win, Gauff advances to the second round of the 2026 French Open, where she will face Mayard Sherif. The two faced off once more, with Gauff emerging victorious in that only match.
