Gauff Knocked Out of Roland Garros

Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff has been knocked out of Roland Garros after losing to Anastasia Potapova in a three-set thriller on Saturday.

Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, fell 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 in the third round after being a break up in the deciding set. After the match, the fourth seed said she did not feel pressure as the defending champion, unlike her experience at the 2024 US Open.

“I think at the US Open it did a lot more but honestly this time it didn’t. I wasn’t really nervous. That’s what’s more frustrating because I felt like I learned a lot from that US Open experience and I’m a better player since then and I just don’t think I portrayed that today,” Gauff said.

Gauff Knocked Out of Roland Garros (NewsCentral TV) — Coco Gauff. Credit: BBC.

Gauff started strongly despite losing her opening service game, breaking Potapova in the eighth and tenth games to take the first set. Potapova responded strongly in the second set, breaking twice to race into a 3-0 lead.

The match swung back and forth with multiple breaks of serve before Potapova forced a tie-break and dominated it 7-1 to level the match.

In the final set, Gauff took the early advantage, but Potapova fought back to level at 3-3 before holding firm in key moments to secure victory and end the champion’s title defence.

Author

Deborah Akwa

Deborah Akwa is a content writer with over four years of experience creating brand stories, editorial content, and audience-focused articles on topics like health, lifestyle, and entertainment.

When she isn't writing, she is behind the scenes managing editorial operations and helping the content team work better.

She loves using words to connect brands with their audiences. Outside of work, she enjoys watching movies and engaging in thought-provoking conversations.