Coco Gauff expressed her frustration with the lack of video replay technology in tennis following a controversial call from the chair umpire during her French Open semifinal loss Thursday to Iga Swiatek. Gauff, the 20-year-old American who recently won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in September, believes it's time for tennis to adopt video replay technology, much like other sports.
“At this point, it’s almost ridiculous that we don’t have it,” Gauff said, as reported by Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. “There are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or (watch) online, and you see that you were completely right. And it’s, like: What does that give you in that moment?”
Gauff's comments came after a contentious moment in the second set of her 6-2, 6-4 loss to Swiatek. During a critical point, Swiatek hit a serve that was initially called out. Gauff, who was in the process of swinging to return the serve, missed her return. The chair umpire, Aurélie Tourte, reversed the call to “In” and awarded the point to Swiatek, ruling that Gauff’s return was not affected by the original call.
“I have the right to finish my swing,” Gauff argued with Tourte. The umpire responded, “It did not affect the shot.” Gauff disagreed, telling Tourte she was wrong and “should be ashamed.” Gauff said, “It’s a Grand Slam semifinal. Know the rules of the game.”
Coco Gauff: ‘Every point matters'
Despite Gauff breaking Swiatek's serve immediately after the incident to take a 3-1 lead in the set, Swiatek quickly regained control, winning five of the next six games to secure her place in the French Open final. Swiatek is aiming for her third consecutive title at Roland Garros and fourth in five years.
“Every point matters against anybody, but especially against her. I think it was just one of those moments, but I overcame it. I obviously won that game,” Gauff said. “I usually don’t get too frustrated with decisions like that, but I think it was just a combination of everything going on in the moment.”
“I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the (video replay) system … (and) in other sports, there’s usually multiple refs making a decision,” Gauff said. She noted that the U.S. Open added replays for certain calls last year and believes other tournaments should follow suit. “I definitely think, as a sport, we have to evolve. And have the technology. They’re showing it on TV, so I don’t get why the player can’t see it.”
Swiatek agreed with Gauff's general sentiment, acknowledging that having replays would make decisions easier. However, she pointed out the logistical challenges.
“I don’t know how it would look, like, logistically,” Swiatek said. “When can you ask an umpire to (show) a video replay or (whether) it’s up to her to do that. Because I think the umpire today was pretty sure with her call.”
Iga Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in finals
Swiatek is one step closer to capturing her fourth French Open title.
“For sure, it was intense,” Swiatek said. “In the second set it was kind of tight because we were breaking each other. I’m happy that I was consistent with my tactics, didn’t overthink stuff and just went for it at the end.”
The 23-year-old’s performance against Gauff showcased her consistency. Despite a closely contested second set, Swiatek maintained her composure, breaking Gauff's serve early and holding her lead. The Polish star extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to 20 matches and her overall streak to 18 in all competitions. Swiatek has now defeated Gauff in 11 of their past 12 encounters, including their previous two French Open meetings.
In the opening set, Swiatek took control by breaking Gauff in the first game and again at 3-1. Gauff struggled to find her rhythm, frequently missing her marks, and ultimately handed the set to Swiatek with a forehand error. Despite breaking Swiatek’s serve to lead 3-1, Gauff couldn't sustain her advantage. Swiatek responded by winning four consecutive games, regaining control and closing out the match after Gauff saved three match points but ultimately missed a forehand on the fourth.
Swiatek's victory sets up a finals clash with Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. She stands as the strong favorite, aiming to secure her fifth Grand Slam title. She could become the first woman to win three consecutive titles since Justine Henin achieved the feat from 2007 to 2009. Swiatek’s track record in major finals is perfect, boasting a 4-0 record.
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