French Open 2026: Coco Gauff battles past Taylor Townsend in first round

Reigning Roland-Garros champion Coco Gauff, the world No. 4, opened her French Open 2026 title defence on Tuesday 26 May by defeating compatriot Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-0 in the first round in Paris. Gauff made a rocky start, being broken in the opening game before levelling at 3-3 and eventually taking the first set 6-4. She then dominated the second set 6-0 to advance to the next round.