Coco Gauff lifted the trophy at the French Open 12 months ago to land the second Grand Slam title of her career, fighting back from a set down to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
The defending champion is the fourth seed in this year’s edition of the tournament and arrives in good form after reaching the final of the Italian Open earlier this month.
Gauff opens up her French Open title defence against fellow American Taylor Townsend, who is currently ranked as the world number 90.
Coco Gauff vs. Taylor Townsend betting picks and predictions
Coco Gauff to win 2-0 (-225)
Coco Gauff sailed through the early rounds of the French Open last year, not dropping a set until the quarter-finals, and she only dropped two through the entire tournament.
The 22-year-old has been handed a fairly kind draw this year and may be able to repeat that feat again in 2026 on what is statistically her best surface.
Gauff did struggle after winning the title in Paris last year as she suffered a shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon and was then eliminated in the fourth round of the US Open, but she did reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year and appears to be finding her form again.
Gauff reached her first Miami final earlier this year and on the dirt she’s picked up some decent results, reaching the fourth round of the Madrid Open before a run to the final of the Italian Open in Rome.
If Gauff is at her best she should have little trouble in dispatching Taylor Townsend, who has enjoyed the best results of her career in doubles.
Townsend won the only previous meeting between these two Americans but that clash came way back in 2019 on the WTA Challenger Tour, and a repeat looks highly unlikely.
Townsend was eliminated in the first round in Madrid but did manage a reasonable run at the Italian Open. However, she lost in straight sets to Iva Jovic in Rome, the teenager who was then knocked out by Gauff.
Those results show the gulf in class between these two and a 2-0 win for the reigning French Open champion looks a strong bet.
Match spread: Coco Gauff -5.5 games (-120)
Coco Gauff can win in straight sets and cover a -5.5 game handicap in the match spread.
Townsend has been competitive in first sets in defeats but has tended to fade in the second, winning just two games in the second set of each of her last three 2-0 reverses.
Gauff’s levels have dropped in her service games this season but she has at least remained solid on her first serve, with a first-serve percentage of around 65% for this season and winning close to 70% of points behind it.
She is also one of the best returners on the WTA and could dominate from the get-go against Townsend, so -5.5 games looks a handicap she can beat.
SGP: Gauff to win, under 19.5 games, Townsend 3+ aces, Gauff 3+ double faults (+500)
Combine four plays on the Gauff vs. Townsend match in a parlay that pays +500 odds if successful.
Gauff should win comfortably against Towsend as she hasn’t lost to a player ranked outside the top 75 since August of 2025, and that defeat came at the hands of teenage sensation Victoria Mboko who has since surged up the rankings.
Townsend’s tendency to struggle in second sets after defeat in the first suggests Gauff could get the job done quickly, so under 19.5 games is appealing.
Townsend may be able to make a few inroads on her own service games, however, and three or more aces for the 30-year-old seems reasonable. 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 hit at least three aces.
Gauff has occasionally struggled with her own service game and is averaging just over six double faults per match this season, so three or more looks a solid option.
Coco Gauff vs. Taylor Townsend odds
Coco Gauff | -900 |
Taylor Townsend | +550 |
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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.
