U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff is out of the women’s singles tournament at the Paris Olympics after a dramatic straight-set loss to 13th-seeded Donna Vekic — a match marked by controversy at Roland-Garros Stadium.
Ranked No. 2 in the world, Gauff trailed Vekic 3-2 in the second set when chair umpire Jaume Campistol overruled a crucial line call, shifting momentum in Vekic’s favor. The line judge had called Vekic’s baseline return shot out just as Gauff hit the ball into the net, but Campistol awarded the point to Vekic, putting her ahead 4-2 instead of reaching deuce. Gauff argued that the point should be replayed, saying the “out” call had disrupted her shot. However, Campistol disagreed, leading to a heated exchange where Gauff expressed feeling unfairly treated.
The match was a stark contrast to Gauff’s earlier rounds, where she had dominated. She had built a 4-1 lead in the first set against Vekic but eventually lost it in a tiebreaker as Vekic, despite 27 unforced errors, leveraged her forehand and net play to stay in the match.
Gauff, a U.S. flagbearer at the opening ceremony, now turns her focus to the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events, hoping to secure an Olympic medal. “I want to come home with something,” she said, according to The Associated Press.
Despite the controversial point, Gauff maintained that it might not have changed the match’s outcome. She reiterated her call for tennis to adopt a video review system, a stance she first voiced at the French Open. While the U.S. Open has used electronic line-calling since 2006, Roland-Garros officials have resisted such technology due to the unique conditions of their red clay courts. However, momentum for video review tools at Grand Slams continues to build.
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