Coco Gauff’s girls’s singles competitors on the 2024 Paris Olympics has come to an emotional finish.
The 20-year-old tennis champion misplaced her Tuesday, July 30, match in opposition to Croatia’s Donna Vekić forward of the occasion’s quarterfinals. Through the match, Gauff argued with officers after accusing the umpire of creating an incorrect name that led to Vekić, 28, scoring a degree.
“You referred to as it out earlier than I hit it,” she said through the heated second. The umpire, for his half, replied, “However you perceive that I’ve to decide at this stage.” Whereas Gauff quipped that he has “to make sure” concerning the calls he makes, the umpire stood by his determination.
“I by no means argue these calls, however you referred to as it out earlier than I hit the ball. It all the time occurs to me on this court docket,” Gauff said earlier than strolling away from the umpire chair in tears.
Her remark was probably a reference to her controversial loss on the French Open final month, throughout which she obtained into one other verbal quarrel after umpire Aurélie Tourte overruled a line choose’s name that one in every of Iga Świątek’s serves was out.
Gauff obtained upset, claiming she didn’t return the serve due to the unique name. “Are you severe? They’re booing you since you are flawed,” she instructed Tourte earlier than stating she had “the appropriate to complete my swing.” She was additionally reportedly heard telling Tourte, “Try to be ashamed” and “know the foundations of the sport.”
Following the June 6 loss, Gauff declared that the game ought to implement a video overview system, because it is among the few skilled sports activities to not have one.
“Quite a lot of occasions the selections are made by one individual. In different sports activities there are normally a number of refs making a choice,” she stated after the match, per CNN. “I do know the U.S. Open introduced a few of it final 12 months, I consider, I do know we used it in our doubles at one level. I undoubtedly suppose at this level it’s nearly ridiculous we don’t have it. Not simply talking as a result of that occurred to me, however I simply suppose each sport has it.”
Gauff’s current loss isn’t the top of her Paris Olympics journey. She and Taylor Fritz will compete within the first spherical of blended doubles on Tuesday, adopted by Gauff and Jessica Pegula’ second spherical of girls’s doubles on Wednesday, July 31.
Identical to Us, many celebrities have been stepping into the patriotic spirit as they watch the best-of-the-best athletes compete within the Olympics. Many spectators are in complete awe of Simone Biles — referred to as the GOAT in gymnastics — together with one in every of her personal Workforce USA athletes, climber Brooke Raboutou. “I’ve all the time been very impressed […]
After having to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after contracting COVID-19, Gauff made her Olympics debut in Paris. She additionally served as one in every of Workforce USA’s opening ceremony flag bearers alongside basketball legend LeBron James.
“Not solely am I right here, enjoying my first Olympics, I’ve the respect to be the flag bearer, which is one thing I by no means thought in my lifetime,” she stated on At the moment earlier this month. “I normally have objectives, and I wouldn’t say predict, however I consider I can do sure issues. And I undoubtedly would by no means have believed or predicted that I might do that.”