Current:Home > reviewsCoco Gauff ousted at Paris Olympics in third round match marred by controversial call -Secure Growth Solutions
Coco Gauff ousted at Paris Olympics in third round match marred by controversial call
View
Date:2025-04-13 16:19:38
PARIS — Tennis star Coco Gauff, who was chosen as the Olympic opening ceremony flag bearer for Team USA, is out of the women’s singles competition after losing 7-6, 6-2 to Donna Vekic of Croatia.
Ranked No. 2 in the world, Gauff still has a chance to take home medals in doubles and mixed doubles, but her performance Tuesday was surprising and disappointing given how solid she looked in the first two rounds of the tournament and her strong track record on the clay of Roland Garros during the French Open.
"(A medal) is the main goal," the 20-year old Gauff said. "I just have to go to the locker room and reset and get ready."
It’s also a result with some controversy attached.
➤ Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
➤ The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Down 7-6, 3-2 in a match that was tightly contested all the way through, Gauff faced a massive break point at 30-40. As she retreated to hit a backhand, the linesperson made an out call simultaneous with Gauff's swing, and seemingly before she completed the motion with her racket. Gauff immediately decelerated, causing a miss.
She believed the point should have been replayed, which is the rule if the outcall impacts her play on the ball. But the chair umpire saw it differently, overruling the out call and awarding the point to Vekic.
A five-minute argument ensued in which Gauff called the tournament supervisor and appeared to be crying, while at one point saying she "constantly" felt cheated by similar calls and also referenced officiating controversies involving Serena Williams.
Shortly after the match, Gauff lamented the fact that tennis does not use a video replay system to adjudicate situations where there's a split-second judgement call that is difficult to make.
"I mean there’s been multiple times this year where that happened to me where I feel like I always have to be, you know, an advocate for myself on the court," Gauff said. "And I feel like in tennis we should have a (review) system because, you know, these points are big deals. And yeah, usually afterwards they apologize. So it’s kind of frustrating, you know. Sorry doesn’t help you once a match is over."
When the match ensued, Gauff had an opportunity to get it back on serve in the next game, getting to 0-40 on Vekic’s serve as the crowd began to boo the umpire and get a bit rowdy. But Vekic managed to settle down, reel in the break points and stretch out to a 5-2 lead. A rattled Gauff was then easily broken, allowing Vekic – who recently made the Wimbledon semifinals – to advance.
"I mean, it’s a very tricky situation," Vekic said. "I personally thought the umpire made a good decision because the call came quite late, but I have to rewatch it. It’s tough to know exactly in the moment. But yeah, after that with the crowd, it was not so easy. I lost my concentration for a couple points, but I’m happy that I managed to come back in that game because it was an important game."
Still, even Gauff didn't blame the loss on one controversial call. The fact is, she seemed on her way to an easy first set win but couldn't secure a second break and played a poor game at 5-3 while trying to serve it out. Then in the tiebreaker, Gauff made a poor choice to try a drop shot at 7-7 when she had control of the rally, pushing it into the net.
Gauff was also up a break early in the second set before quickly handing it back -- a trend that has plagued her in some big matches since winning last year's US Open title.
"Today was just a tough match, and I just have to figure out how to do better in those moments with closing out those sets," she said. "I can’t say I would have won the match if I would have won that (controversial) point. But for sure, you know, being down a break whereas maybe replaying that point can make a big difference in that game. But I’m not gonna sit here and say one point affected the result today because I was already on the losing side of things before that happened."
veryGood! (45)
Related
- Bet365 ordered to refund $519K to customers who it paid less than they were entitled on sports bets
- US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Traveling to Las Vegas? Here Are the Best Black Friday Hotel Deals
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
- What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general
- Cruel Intentions' Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fits for two-time Cy Young winner
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- The Fate of Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager's Today Fourth Hour Revealed
- Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to kick off fundraising effort for Ohio women’s suffrage monument
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- High-scoring night in NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes for 59, Victor Wembanyama for 50
- Shaun White Reveals How He and Fiancée Nina Dobrev Overcome Struggles in Their Relationship
- UConn, Kansas State among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
Recommendation
PHOTO COLLECTION: AP Top Photos of the Day Wednesday August 7, 2024
New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
Jake Paul's only loss led him to retool the team preparing him to face Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson employs two trainers who 'work like a dream team' as Jake Paul fight nears
Blake Lively’s Inner Circle Shares Rare Insight on Her Life as a Mom to 4 Kids
Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team