Anyone who recalls Ugo Humbert’s comical gaffe at Wimbledon 2022, where he forgot his tennis racket, would be amused to learn that history has repeated itself. This time, the mishap involved American tennis star Frances Tiafoe. Now, Tiafoe’s fellow compatriot and world number three, Coco Gauff, has come to his defense, lightheartedly placing the blame elsewhere. But who exactly is Gauff pointing the finger at?
Gauff’s first match at Indian Wells was far from a smooth ride. The third seed struggled with consistency against the 52nd seed, Moyuka Uchijima, leading to a total of 21 double faults and over 70 unforced errors. Despite these challenges, she managed to break a three-match losing streak with a hard-earned 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) victory on Stadium 2 at the California desert. Gauff’s determination shone through her performance, and it was this same tenacity that she brought to her defense of Tiafoe.
In a chat with the Tennis Channel, Gauff threw in a twist. Instead of blaming Tiafoe for forgetting his racket, she pointed at his coach, David Witt. Gauff explained that tennis coaches typically bring the players’ rackets to the match and place them in their bags. Thus, she felt Witt should shoulder the blame for Tiafoe’s amusing mishap. She even intimated that she would have a chat with Tiafoe to find out if her theory was correct.
Tiafoe, the ATP No. 17, had a packed schedule at the 2025 Indian Wells Open, which included sponsorship events for Lululemon in Coachella Valley. Amidst all these activities, he had a momentary lapse and forgot his racket when he was about to face Bosnian Damir Džumhur on Court 2. The crowd chuckled as Witt rushed off to fetch the missing rackets, and when they finally arrived, Tiafoe greeted the crowd with his signature grin. The night ended on a high note, with Tiafoe winning the match in straight sets: 7-6(4), 7-6(7).
Meanwhile, Gauff had been dealing with criticism following her recent performance in the Middle East. However, after her hard-fought victory against Uchijima at Indian Wells Open, she was relieved and upbeat. Uchijima had capitalized on Gauff’s inconsistency, especially in her serve, but Gauff persevered and emerged victorious, securing a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) win and advancing to the Indian Wells third round for the fifth consecutive time.
Gauff acknowledged that it wasn’t her best performance, but was pleased to have won. Her next match is against the 29th seed, Maria Sakkari, a rematch of the previous year’s Indian Wells semi-finals. Gauff fans will undoubtedly be eager to see if she can turn the tables this time around.
So, while Tiafoe’s racket mishap became a viral sensation, Gauff found a playful way to stand up for her fellow American. Regardless of who was really at fault, these incidents add a touch of humor and camaraderie to the intense world of professional tennis. And who knows, maybe tennis players will start double-checking their bags for rackets from now on!