Coco Gauff, one of the standout stars at the 2024 Paris Olympics, experienced a heartbreaking defeat in the singles competition on Tuesday. The reigning US Open champion was eliminated in the third round by Croatia’s Donna Vekic, 7-6 (7), 6-2, on Court Philippe Chatrier. The loss mirrored a previous disappointment on the same court where Gauff had lost to Iga Swiatek in a contentious French Open semifinal the prior month.
The match saw Gauff involved in a familiar scene: disputing an officiating decision she believed was incorrect. This time, it was a call by chair umpire Jaume Campistol that awarded Vekic a point, leading to a significant service break. Gauff argued the call with the umpire, delaying play for several minutes, but her appeals were ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite the setback, Gauff quickly shifted her focus to other opportunities at the Games. Later the same day, she teamed up with U.S. teammate Taylor Fritz to win a first-round mixed doubles match against Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska and Maximo Gonzalez, advancing to the quarterfinals. Gauff is also competing in women’s doubles with Jessica Pegula, maintaining hope for a medal.
Over the weekend, Gauff expressed her ambition to win medals in each of her events. Although the singles loss dashed one of those hopes, she remains focused on her doubles campaigns.
“I want,” Gauff said, via The Associated Press, “to come home with something.”
Reflecting on her situation after her elimination, Gauff said, “At the end of the day, if anything, doubles make you want to go out there more. You don’t want to ruin someone else’s chances based off your mentality.”
Coco Gauff reiterates calls for video replay
During her singles match, Gauff initially had the upper hand, leading 4-1 and nearly securing the first set. However, Vekic rallied, buoyed by support from the stands, and ultimately outplayed Gauff with 33 winners compared to Gauff’s nine. The Croatian advanced to the quarterfinals while Gauff, visibly frustrated, acknowledged her defeat.
“I’m not going to sit here and say one point affected the result today,” Gauff said. “Because I was already on the losing side of things.”
However, she added, “There’s been multiple times this year where that’s happened to me – where I felt like I always have to be an advocate for myself on the court,” reiterating her call for video review in tennis to prevent such disputes.
Gauff’s presence at the Olympics has been significant beyond her performances. She was the female flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony, alongside Team USA basketball's LeBron James.
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