Coco Gauff’s women’s singles competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics has come to an emotional end.
The 20-year-old tennis champion lost her Tuesday, July 30, match against Croatia’s Donna Vekić ahead of the event’s quarterfinals. During the match, Gauff argued with officials after accusing the umpire of making an incorrect call that led to Vekić, 28, scoring a point.
“You called it out before I hit it,” she stated during the heated moment. The umpire, for his part, replied, “But you understand that I have to make a decision at this stage.” While Gauff quipped that he has “to be sure” about the calls he makes, the umpire stood by his decision.
“I never argue these calls, but you called it out before I hit the ball. It always happens to me on this court,” Gauff stated before walking away from the umpire chair in tears.
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Her comment was likely a reference to her controversial loss at the French Open last month, during which she got into another verbal quarrel after umpire Aurélie Tourte overruled a line judge’s call that one of Iga Świątek’s serves was out.
Gauff got upset, claiming she didn’t return the serve because of the original call. “Are you serious? They are booing you because you are wrong,” she told Tourte before stating she had “the right to finish my swing.” She was also reportedly heard telling Tourte, “You should be ashamed” and “know the rules of the game.”
Following the June 6 loss, Gauff declared that the sport should implement a video review system, as it is one of the few professional sports to not have one.
“A lot of times the decisions are made by one person. In other sports there are usually multiple refs making a decision,” she said after the match, per CNN. “I know the U.S. Open brought some of it last year, I believe, I know we used it in our doubles at one point. I definitely think at this point it’s almost ridiculous we don’t have it. Not just speaking because that happened to me, but I just think every sport has it.”
Gauff’s recent loss isn’t the end of her Paris Olympics journey. She and Taylor Fritz will compete in the first round of mixed doubles on Tuesday, followed by Gauff and Jessica Pegula’ second round of women’s doubles on Wednesday, July 31.
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After having to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after contracting COVID-19, Gauff made her Olympics debut in Paris. She also served as one of Team USA’s opening ceremony flag bearers alongside basketball legend LeBron James.
“Not only am I here, playing my first Olympics, I have the honor to be the flag bearer, which is something I never thought in my lifetime,” she said on Today earlier this month. “I usually have goals, and I wouldn’t say predict, but I believe I can do certain things. And I definitely would never have believed or predicted that I could do this.”
