American tennis star Coco Gauff was left in tears after getting into a heated argument with an umpire before being dumped out of the women’s singles at the Olympic Games.
Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, lost 7-6 (7), 6-2 to Donna Vekic of Croatia in a third-round singles match in Paris on Tuesday.
She was already trailing by a lot when the episode happened two games from the end of the match, after the 20-year-old hit a serve and Vekic’s return landed near the baseline.
A line judge initially called the shot out after Gauff did not keep the ball in play. However, chair umpire Jaume Campistol thought Vekic’s effort landed in and awarded her the point, giving her a service break and a 4-2 lead.
A furious Gauff walked over to talk to the official and play was delayed for several minutes while an argument ensued.
Coco Gauff was left in tears after getting into a heated argument with an Olympic umpire
‘I never argue these calls. But he called it out before I hit the ball,’ Gauff said to Campistol. ‘It’s not even a perception; it’s the rules. I always have to advocate for myself.’
Gauff was seeded second in Paris and easily won her first two singles matches, dropping a total of just five games.
But her first Olympic singles tournament — she is still in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles — ended with a performance that was hardly her best on the hottest day of the Summer Games so far, with the heat rising above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
Even before the trouble over the umpiring decision, Gauff could not sustain a good start against Vekic, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon this month.
She led 4-1 and was a point from moving ahead 5-1 and serving for the opening set. But she couldn’t close the deal, then wasted a couple of set points at 6-4 in the ensuing tiebreaker. Vekic surged to the end of that set, then maintained her level in the second.
A furious Gauff walked over to talk to the official and play was delayed for several minutes
She was left furious after her opponent’s shot was initially called out before being deemed in
The 20-year-old couldn’t hide her frustration as she crashed out of the single’s tournament
One measure of Vekic’s superiority on this afternoon: She finished with 33 winners to just nine for Gauff.
But the most memorable portion of the match was the second-set dispute.
It’s not the first time Gauff has been upset by a call she thought was incorrect — not even the first time in Court Philippe Chatrier, the main stadium used for the annual French Open Grand Slam tournament that was also the site Tuesday.
During her loss to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the French Open semifinals last month, she also got nowhere with the chair umpire during a similar dispute. After that match, Gauff called it ‘almost ridiculous’ that tennis does not employ video replay technology at all events, the way many other sports do.
She alluded to that Swiatek match while talking to Campistol and a supervisor who joined the conversation on the court Tuesday.
Gauff lost 7-6 (7), 6-2 to Donna Vekic of Croatia as her single’s dreams came to an end
She is still in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles tournaments at the Paris Games
‘It always happens here at the French Open to me. Every time,’ Gauff said, holding a tennis ball in one hand and her racket in the other while pleading her case. ‘This is like the fourth, fifth time it’s happened this year.’
Vekic did not get involved, staying at her end of the court and fiddling with her strings.
When Gauff gave up and headed back on court to resume play, fans booed loudly — anger directed at the official.
The first point of the next game went Gauff’s way, and spectators cheered wildly for her. But about 10 minutes later, the match was over.
