Coco Gauff Is OK After Car Accident On Way To French Open

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated May 26, 2026 1:57 PM ET

Coco Gauff cruised to a first-round victory at Roland Garros this Tuesday, but her day didn't exactly start off on the right foot.

Gauff, the defending French Open champion, spoke to TNT after picking up a 6-4, 6-0 win over fellow American Taylor Townsend. The two-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she was involved in a car accident prior to her match at Court Philippe Chatrier.

"We kind of got in a mini car accident on my way to the site today," Gauff said. "There's this pole thing that's supposed to go down, but the police told him [the driver] to go and we ran into it. You felt a little impact - I spilt my juice all over the car. I was like, 'We could keep going.' But I walked out of the car and saw it wasn't drivable, so we ended up taking a taxi."

Clearly, that accident didn't slow down Gauff one bit this Tuesday afternoon.

May 26, 2026; Paris, France; Coco Gauff of the United States returns a shot during her match against Taylor Townsend of the United States on day three at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images© Susan Mullane-Imagn Images&period;

Coco's title defense at French Open is off to a great start.

Gauff, who reached the Italian Open final just 10 days ago, didn't show any signs of wear and tear this Tuesday. In fact, she wasn't even bothered by the heat in Paris.

"When I saw it was going to be hot, I definitely think it's something I do well in and can thrive in a bit because of growing up in Florida," Gauff said, via WTA. "I know some people try to practice early, but I try to sometimes practice in the prime of the day, even if it's shorter, just to get used to, because you never know."

Gauff will return to action Thursday to take on Mayar Sherif in the second round. She'll be heavily favored to win that matchup.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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