Luck can play a major role sometimes in players winning big tournaments. Ask Coco Gauff, who tasted one such success this year due to some sheer good luck. The American sensation won her maiden Grand Slam doubles title this year at the French Open, partnering with Katerina Siniakova. The two weren’t regular doubles partners and only decided to play together in Paris at the 11th hour, thanks to multiple injuries.

Siniakova’s regular doubles partner was Storm Hunter and they played together earlier this year. However, at the Miami Open, Hunter suffered an injury and had to pull out of the tournament. Subsequently, Siniakova opted to pair up with Taylor Townsend. However, just a tournament later, Townsend also got injured and Siniakova was left without a partner for the French Open. In came Coco Gauff, whose own partner Jessica Pegula had been injured and the rest is history.

During this week’s The AO Show, Siniakova’s former partner, Hunter, was present where she opened up about the behind-the-scenes story of Siniakova and Gauff pairing up together for Roland Garros. She narrated, “I got injured and she had to find someone else, I was worried if she would find someone else, and actually Taylor Townsend and Katerina were meant to play together at the French Open, and on the last day of the sign in for doubles, Taylor rolled her ankle and had to withdraw last minute. She was lucky to find Coco Gauff, very good step-in partner and for them to win Roland Garros was amazing.”

Interestingly, because of Gauff’s regular doubles partner Pegula’s injury, who missed the French Open, it was a perfect pairing for Gauff and Siniakova as they dominated the tournament, losing just 1 set en route to winning the title. The victory was a satisfying one for Gauff, despite coming as a surprise.

Coco Gauff contemplated quitting doubles before success with Siniakova

Before this year’s French Open success, Gauff reached a couple of major finals in women’s doubles but lost in both of them. They were painful defeats for the American sensation as it was a matter of so near yet so far. Additionally, she was also on top of her game in singles and thought about quitting doubles with success not coming.

After winning the French Open this year, Gauff revealed, “I think it’s just one of those things that when you least expect it to happen, it happens. After I lost the first two (doubles) finals, I thought, well, okay, I reached that point, maybe I should focus on singles. Same thing, US Open. When I won it, I didn’t expect to win. I was having a really bad year. Then here, I didn’t even expect to play. I think it’s funny how life teaches you those lessons.”

Despite the instant success, both Siniakova and Gauff decided to pair up with their regular doubles partners in subsequent tournaments. Gauff is back with Pegula and the two look healthy contenders for the Paris Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Siniakova went on to win the Wimbledon Championships with Townsend.