Source: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty
tennis star Coco Gauff banished to Olympic Games in Paris after challenging a call with a referee, leaving her in tears.
Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff's quest for Olympic gold ended on Tuesday (July 30) amid controversy and tears after she argued with the chair umpire over a call during the match. Gauff, the No. 2 seed, lost 7-6(7), 6-2 to Croatia's Donna Vekić, who will advance to the quarterfinals. Gauff's exit was all too familiar and disappointing as the match was played on Court Phillippe Cartier, where the French Open was held a month earlier. The 20-year-old then found herself in a similar situation by arguing a call with a chair umpire during a semifinal match that she would lose to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
Gauff looked set to take the win after taking a commanding 4-1 lead in the first set, but Vekic fought her back and would take control of the match. With two games to go, Gauff hit serve and Vekic's return landed near the baseline. A linesman had initially called for the return, but home referee Jaume Campistol ruled it was on and awarded Vekic the point to make it 4-2. “I never disagree with those calls. But he called it before I hit the ball,” Gauff was overheard telling Campistol. “It's not even a perception. it's the rules.” He began to tear up and according to Portuguese commentator Jose Morgado, he continued: “I feel like I'm constantly being cheated in this game. This is the 3rd time this has happened to me this year.”
In the postgame press conference, Gauff was transparent about the situation. “There's been a lot of times this year where that's happened to me – where I've always felt like I had to be my own advocate on the court,” he said, calling for video reviews to be instituted in tennis while acknowledging the moment wouldn't happen. means victory: “I can't say that I would have won the match if I had won this point.” Gough, who was one of the flag bearers for the United States at the opening ceremony, is set to take to the court again with teammate Taylor Fritz for the first round of mixed doubles. “I want to come home with something,” he said. She has also partnered with Jessica Pegula to compete in women's doubles.
