Coco Gauff left Olympic tennis in tears after engaging in a lengthy argument with the chair umpire over a decision in the reigning US Open champion’s 7-6 (7), 6-2 loss Tuesday to Croatian Donna Vekic in the round of 16 of singles.
For Gauff, a 20-year-old American, the outcome was like a movie playing over and over again: a ruling she considered unfair, a judge who didn’t side in her favor, and all in the same place — the clay of the Philippe Chatrier stadium.
This is the main stage of the French Open, where Gauff experienced something similar last month when she lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
“It’s something that’s happened to me a few times this year, and I feel like I always have to stand up for myself on the court,” Gauff said.
Their cry is for tennis to resort to its own version of VAR.
“I feel like he made a decision before I hit the ball, and I don’t think the umpire agreed,” he said. “I think he thought it didn’t affect my swing, and I feel like that’s how it was.”
It all happened with two games to go in the match, with Gauff far behind. She served and Vekic’s return hit the baseline. The line umpire initially called the ball out and Gauff did not keep it in play. But chair umpire Jaume Campistol ruled Vekic’s shot good and credited her with the point, breaking serve and taking a 4-2 lead.
Gauff approached Campistol to complain, delaying the action for several minutes.
“I never argue about these decisions. But he called it out before I hit it,” Gauff told Campistol. “It’s not a perception, it’s what appears in the rules.”
In her first Olympic event, Gauff is coming off a pair of victories in which she dropped just five games. She still has two battle fronts left: women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The day was the hottest so far in Paris 2024, with temperatures exceeding 32 degrees Celsius (90 F).
Also in the round of 16, American Danielle Collins (8th seed) stopped the Colombian Camila Osorio by winning 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
German Angelique Kerber, the three-time Grand Slam champion who has announced she will retire after the Games, beat 16th-seeded Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 6-3. Kerber, 36, won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games after losing to Puerto Rican Monica Puig in the final.
In addition, Chinese Zheng Qinwen (6) defeated American Emma Navarro (11) 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4), 6-1.
The Argentine Mariano Navone said goodbye in the second round of the men’s draw after losing 7-6 (2), 6-3 against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (11).
Also advancing were American Taylor Fritz (7) and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (13).
