US flagbearer Coco Gauff claimed she was being ‘cheated’ by poor decisions as she was dumped out of the women’s singles competition at the Paris Olympics with a 7-6, 2-6 defeat to Donna Vekic.
It was a tightly contested affair for the duration at Roland-Garros but Vekic had a golden opportunity to pull away in the second set, with the Croatian leading 4-30 on Gauff’s serve – and the point proved hugely contentious.
As Gauff – trailing 3-2 in the second set – moved backwards to hit a backhand, the linesperson called the ball out before the American swung her racket, causing her to miss.
However, the chair umpire, Jaume Campistol, took a different view, overruling the original decision before awarding the point to Vekic, putting her just two games away from victory.
A heated discussion then ensued between Gauff and Campistol, which resulted in the 20-year-old breaking down in tears and accusing those making the calls of ‘cheating’ her out of a potential victory.
But Campistol held firm on his decision and Vekic – a semi-finalist at Wimbledon earlier this summer – went on to wrap up the win in emphatic fashion to secure a place in the second round.
Coco Gauff: “It always happens to me on this court. I have to advocate for myself every time.”
Coco Gauff arguing her case with the ref at the #Olympics #Olympic2024 #Tennis pic.twitter.com/nWJ3UFNW3k
— 🎥 🥩 (@morevidsagain) July 30, 2024
Coco Gauff’s argument with the umpire
GAUFF
‘I was going back to hit the ball and he called it out before I hit it.’
UMPIRE
‘You understand that I have to take a decision and in this case…’
GAUFF
‘But you have to be sure…’
UMPIRE
‘I am 100 per cent sure in this case.’
GAUFF
‘You’re not, you just said maybe I’m wrong!’
UMPIRE
‘Based on your reaction I might be wrong.’
GAUFF
‘I never argue these calls but he called it out before I hit the ball. It always happens to me on this court!
‘Call the supervisor. It always happens to me, every time. You understand that I always have to advocate for myself, all the time.
‘I’m getting cheated in this game. You guys are not fair to me.’
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