One year ago, Coco Gauff lifted the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup after an epic final against Aryna Sabalenka, winning 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. Twelve months on, the 22-year-old returns to the Parisian clay with a different status: defending champion.
On Sunday, Gauff will open her title defense against compatriot and longtime friend Taylor Townsend. The two Americans have known each other since the junior circuit, and Townsend handed a 15-year-old Gauff a clay-court lesson in Charleston in 2019 (6-0, 2-6, 6-1). Seven years later, the balance of power has shifted, but Townsend's serve-and-volley style remains capable of unsettling any opponent.
Gauff's path through the draw will be anything but straightforward. The fourth seed shares the same half as world number one Sabalenka, setting up a potential semifinal rematch of their 2025 final. It is a scenario the Parisian crowd is already hoping for.
Before reaching that stage, Gauff must navigate a projected quarterfinal against sixth seed Amanda Anisimova, who leads their head-to-head 2-1. The American arrives in Paris with a solid clay record this season (8-3) and the confidence of a Rome final, lost to but fiercely contested.
At 22, Gauff has already proven she can handle the pressure of the biggest stages. But defending a Grand Slam title is a unique challenge, where every win is expected and every loss magnified. On Court Philippe-Chatrier, the scene of her triumph, the young American knows all eyes are on her.
