Imagine playing one of the most crucial matches of your career and getting wiped out. Not because you didn’t play well, but because an inappropriate decision from the umpire created confusion, ultimately costing you the match and the tournament. And what do you get in return? An apology! It would not just sting but annoy anyone to the core. This is exactly the fate of American star player Coco Gauff at the Paris Olympics.

Coco Gauff faced Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the third round of the Paris Olympics. After a closely fought first round which Gauff lost, she was trying to get her hold back in the match. It was at this monumental stage when a call from the umpire left her in tears. A shot by Vekic in the second set was called out by the line umpire. Coco perceived that she won the point and hit the ball out herself. But the umpire soon declared that the shot was played inside the line. While ideally, the point should have been played again, the American was made to suffer with Vekic being awarded the point. 

The 20-year-old was seen engaging in a heated debate with the umpire and crying her heart out. “This isn’t fair, I’ve been cheated. This always happens to me,” she said. But it did not help her and eventually, she lost the match, 7-6, 6-2. But she did not fail to advocate changes that are much needed in the sport and demanded an overhaul. 

Speaking after the defeat, Gauff said, “I feel like in tennis, we should have a VAR system because these points are big deals.” Continuing further, she highlighted the heartbreaks that emerge out of such errors are not easy to bear. “Usually, afterwards they apologize. It’s kind of frustrating when the sorry doesn’t help you once the match is over.” This, however, is not the first time when Gauff has made such demands. 

In the recently concluded French Open, Coco Gauff expressed her anger over the absence of a video review system in tennis. After losing to Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, she highlighted the decision of the umpire that she claimed to have cost her the match. “I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person. In other sports, there’s usually multiple refs making a decision.”

However, Coco Gauff does not want to blame the entire match’s result on one decision.

“I was already…,” Coco Gauff demonstrates resilience after Olympics exit in singles

Coco Gauff could not make her first Olympic grand as she lost to Donna Vekic in the third round. However, she does not wish to blame the result of the match on the decision of the umpire, despite being upset with it.

Speaking in the post-match interview, Gauff acknowledged, “I’m not going to sit here and say one point affected the result today,” Continuing further she said, “because I was already on the losing side of things.” And Vekic’s dominance can be proven by the fact that she won 33 winners on Tuesday, as against Gauff, nine! But, all is not over for the American star. 

Coco Gauff has already advanced to the second round of the doubles category alongside her partner Jessica Pegula. Besides, her partnership with Taylor Fritz for the mixed doubles will give her yet another shot at the medal.

As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see if Gauff can overcome the heartbreaking defeat and return home with an Olympic medal!