Gauff at ease in Paris as she prepares to defend French Open title

PARIS: Coco Gauff is keen to sidestep any pressure that might come with starting Roland Garros as the defending women’s champion as she returns to the site of her most consistent Grand Slam success.
“Last year feels like ten years ago,” the American said at media day on Friday.
Gauff comes into the tournament seeded fourth, fresh from reaching the Rome final on clay where she lost to Elina Svitolina.
At 22, she is about to play her seventh French Open.
She won her first Grand Slam at the US Open in 2023, but Roland Garros is where she has shone most consistently. She has reached the last eight in each of her last five appearances in the French capital, including winning the tournament in 2025.
She wants that record to be a source of strength rather than expectation.
“Whenever I come to this tournament, I don’t even think about my past results here,” she said.
“I know I play well here.

Even if I’m not doing my best in the match, I know I can find that level just because of my history here, but it’s also something I’m not thinking about, entering the match.”
Gauff’s result swings have a lot to do with her erratic serve. She leads the WTA with 208 double faults this year.

Mirra Andreeva, who has played five more matches, is a distant second with 145.
Gauff said her run to the Italian Open final was down to better serving.
“My average in Rome was four in double faults,” she said. “I can do that.