The scene seemed all too familiar to Coco Gauff. An arbitration decision that was sure to be wrong. A chair umpire who wasn’t listening. Tears roll down her cheeks. And, most disappointing of all, a defeat, this time at the Paris Olympics.
Even the location was the same: Court Philippe Chatrier was where the US Open champion was knocked out in the third round at the Summer Games by Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Tuesday. This is also the main stage used each year for the French Open, where Gauff found herself in an almost identical controversy over a call while losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals last month.
“There’s been a lot of times this year where that’s happened to me β where I’ve always felt like I’ve had to be my own advocate on the court,” Gauff said afterward, renewing an invitation to video review to be used in tennis, as it is. in many other professional sports.
“I felt he called it before I hit and I don’t think the umpire disagreed,” he said. “I think he just thought it didn’t affect my swing, which I felt it did.”
Gough is one of the biggest stars of the 2024 Paris Games, a 20-year-old from Florida who was the Olympic singles No. 2 and was the female flag bearer for the United States during Friday’s opening ceremony.
It was Vekic, though, who was getting a lot of support from the stands early in the match, with chants of ‘Don-na! Don-na!β ringing. When Vekic began her comeback from 4-1 down, she responded to some applause by waving her arms above her head for more β and the crowd responded. In the next game, Gauff delivered a backhand winner and raised a hand, wagging her fingers to ask the people in the seats to support her β and they responded, drawing a wry smile from Vekic.
By the time the disputed call was made two plays from the end of the game, Gauff was well behind.
He served and Vekic’s return landed near the baseline. A linesman initially called Vekic’s shot out. Gauff did not keep the ball in play. Home umpire Jaume Campistol thought Vekic’s shot went in and awarded her the point, giving her a break of serve and a 4-2 lead.
Gauff went to talk to the referee and the game was delayed for several minutes.
βI never disagree with those calls. But he called it before I hit the ball,β Gough told Campistol. βIt’s not even a perception. it’s the rules.”
She easily won her first two singles matches, dropping just five games in total. But her first Olympic singles tournament – she’s still in women’s doubles and mixed doubles – ended with a performance that was far from her best on the hottest day of the Summer Games so far, with heat topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
βThese points are big things. They usually apologize afterwards. So it’s kind of disappointing. “‘Sorry’ doesn’t help you when the match is over,” Gauff said. “I can’t say I would have won the race if I won that point.”
Even before the problems with the umpire’s decision, Gauff could not get off to a good start against Vekic, who was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon this month.
The American led 4-1 and was one point from leading 5-1 and serving for the opening set. But he didn’t seal the deal, then squandered a couple of set points at 6-4 in the ensuing tiebreak. Vekic cruised to the end of that set and then held her own in the second.
A measure of Vekic’s superiority this afternoon: She finished with 33 winners to just nine for Gauff.
“I’m not going to sit here and say one point affected the result today,” Gauff admitted, “because I was already on the losing side of things.”
However, the most memorable moment in the match was that second set argument. Gough even referred to that Sviatek loss while speaking with Campistol and a supervisor involved in Tuesday’s court hearing.
βIt always happens to me here at the French Open. Every time,β Gauff said, holding a tennis ball in one hand and her racket in the other as she pleaded her case. “This is like the fourth, fifth time it’s happened this year.”
Vekic, who qualified for the quarterfinals, did not get involved, staying on the edge of the court and struggling with her strings.
“It’s a very difficult situation. “I personally thought the referee made a good decision because the call came quite late,” Vekic said when asked afterwards about what happened. βBut I’ll have to see it again. It’s hard to know right now.”
When Gauff gave up and returned to the field to continue the game, the fans booed loudly – anger directed at the referee.
The first point of the next game went Gauff’s way and the spectators cheered her wildly.
But, about 10 minutes later, the match was over.
Gauff was due to return to court with US teammate Taylor Fritz for a first-round mixed doubles match later on Tuesday. She is also competing in women’s doubles with Jessica Pegula at these Olympics.
Over the weekend, Gauff spoke of her intention to walk away with three medals – one from each of her events in Paris. That won’t happen now.
“I want,” Gough said Tuesday, “to come home with something.”