Coco Gauff says she got into a 'mini car accident' on her way to Tuesday's match at French Open
Coco Gauff had some unexpected excitement ahead of her French Open first-round match on Tuesday.
In an interview after her straight-sets win over Taylor Townsend, Gauff mentioned that on her way to Roland-Garros, the car she was riding in got into a “mini car accident.”
Coco Gauff revealed to @chris_eubanks96 that she was in a mini car accident riding to Roland Garros this morning, hours before her match with Taylor Townsend.
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) May 26, 2026
Not lying,despite her usual laugh at Chris asking her questions
“The pole was still there & we ran into it.”
🎥 @TWDTV1pic.twitter.com/kBdMUaB31n
The car that she was riding in struck a pole. While she was uninjured, the car itself was no longer drivable, so she had to have a quick change of travel plans to get to the complex.
Gauff laughed her way through the telling of the story to the TNT Sports desk. She said the car hit a pole in the road that was supposed to be lowered to let them pass.
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The defending French Open champion said she ended up taking a taxi to a place where she could catch another car to Roland-Garros.
While Gauff did not suffer any injuries, she did say the impact was enough to cause her to spill the juice she was drinking in the car.
She made it to her match against Townsend on time, and despite the chaotic event, it didn’t throw her off her game. Gauff advanced to the second round after beating Townsend 6-4, 6-0 in straight sets.
The No. 4-seeded Gauff will next be in action on Thursday, May 28. She will face Mayar Sherif, who advanced past Dalma Gálfi 7-5, 6-4 in her opening match.
