Coco Gauff claimed a second Grand Slam title in Paris last year by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, having dropped just one set on her way to the final.
The 22-year-old has struggled for form in the majors a little since that success with early exits at both Wimbledon and the US Open, although she did reach the last eight at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Taylor Townsend has enjoyed most of her success in doubles and her best result in the French Open in singles was a run to the third round in her first appearance at this event back in 2014.
Coco Gauff v Taylor Townsend Tips Summary
Best Bet - Coco Gauff to win 2-0 @ 4/9
Alternative Bet - Under 19.5 games @ 5/6
Bet Builder - Coco Gauff to win 2-0, Taylor Townsend 3+ aces, Taylor Townsend will not break serve first set, Over 7.5 games in set 1 @ 15/2
Coco Gauff v Taylor Townsend Prediction
Best Bet: Coco Gauff to win 2-0 @ 4/9
Taylor Townsend won 2-1 in the only previous meeting between these two Americans on the WTA Challenger Tour back in 2019 but a repeat seems highly unlikely.
Gauff marched through to the final of the French Open last year without dropping a set until the quarter-finals and she can get off to the perfect start on Tuesday with a routine win over Townsend.
The defending champion has had a mixed 2026 so far but has started to hit form. Gauff reached her first final of the year in Miami and has enjoyed some strong results on clay in the build-up to the French Open, including a run to the final of the Italian Open.
Gauff also reached the final in Rome last year before winning her maiden title in Paris, so the stars may be aligning for another title tilt for the world number four.
In Rome, Townsend was knocked out in straight sets by Iva Jovic, who then went on to lose to Gauff, which shows the gulf in quality between these two players and the favourite should be able to come through this first-round test without dropping a set.
Alternative Bet: Under 19.5 games @ 5/6
Working on the basis that this match will only require two sets, under 19.5 games looks the way to go.
Townsend has a career record of three wins and 15 defeats against WTA top-10 ranked players and none of those wins have been achieved on clay. She also is a player who tends to fade after losing a first set and has only won two games in the second set in each of her last three 2-0 defeats.
With defending champion Gauff hitting her better form this match could be over in under 20 games.
Coco Gauff v Taylor Townsend Bet Builder Tip
- Coco Gauff to win 2-0
- Taylor Townsend 3+ aces
- Taylor Townsend will not break serve first set
- Over 7.5 games in set 1
Pays 15/2
Coco Gauff should be able to win this match without dropping a set but she may not have it entirely her own way and Taylor Townsend is capable of reaching at least three aces.
Townsend averages around 4.5 aces per match over the course of her career on the WTA Tour and three of Gauff’s last four opponents have recorded at least three aces.
Townsend is unlikely to break serve in the first set as Gauff is generally solid on her first serve, with a first-serve percentage of around 65% this season, winning close to 70% of points behind it.
Over 7.5 games in the first set has a chance as both players average over nine games in first sets this season.
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Key Match Stats
- Taylor Townsend is the world number 90
- Coco Gauff has a win rate of around 65% against players ranked outside of the top 50
- Taylor Townsend has five first round defeats in nine French Open singles appearances
- Taylor Townsend has lost in the first round in six of her last eight Grand Slam appearances
- Coco Gauff has seven wins in her last nine games
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
