Coco Gauff, the world No. 2, has addressed the controversy surrounding her emotional confrontation with the umpire and supervisor during her defeat at the Paris Olympics. Gauff was defeated by Donna Vekic in straight sets in the women’s singles event, but it was an incident in the second set that drew significant attention.
Facing a break point, Gauff believed she was interrupted by an incorrect call while hitting her return. The umpire, Jaume Campistol, disagreed and awarded the point to Vekic, leading to a heated exchange between Gauff and the officials. Gauff argued her case before the supervisor was called to the court. Despite her efforts, she did not win another game, and Vekic secured a 7-6(7) 6-2 victory.
After her unexpected third-round exit, Gauff explained the reason behind her outburst. “I felt that he called it before I hit it and I don’t think the ref disagreed, I think he just thought it didn’t affect my swing, which I felt like it did,” she said. “There’s been multiple times this year where that happened to me, where I feel like I always have to be an advocate for myself on the court.”
Gauff also emphasized the need for video reviews in tennis, stating, “I feel like in tennis, we should have a VR system because these points are big deals. And, yeah, usually afterwards, they apologize, so it’s kind of frustrating when the sorry doesn’t help you once the match is over.”
While Gauff acknowledged that the disputed point was not the sole reason for her defeat, she expressed that it was significant. “I can’t say I would have won the match if I would have won that point but, for sure, being not a break, whereas maybe replaying that point can make a big difference in that game,” she continued. “But I’m not going sit here and say one point affected the result today, because I was already on the losing side of things before that point happened.”
Gauff’s frustrations are not new; she experienced a similar situation during her French Open semi-final on the same court just weeks ago. She referenced this while speaking to supervisor Clare Wood, saying, “It happened to me in July, it happened to me here. This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair.”
Reflecting on her experiences, Gauff concluded, “I feel like I’m getting cheated on constantly in this game. I constantly feel like that and then I have to argue. No because I do and then you guys apologize after.”
Gauff’s candid remarks highlight the ongoing challenges players face regarding officiating decisions and the need for improved review systems in tennis.
Coco Gauff in 2024
Ranked world no.2 (career-high), Coco played her last match on the 30th of July when she was defeated by world no.21 Donna Vekic 7-6(7) 6-2 in the 3rd round in Paris (draw).
Presently, during this year the American owns a compiled 37-12 record. The American clinched 1 title in Auckland.
Coco Gauff will square off with the world no.270 Sinja Kraus in the . In the past, they have never played each other until now in top tournaments.
The American has won 1 title in 2024 in Auckland.
Gauff won 7 titles in her career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 1 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Coco Gauff |
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