The American failed to reach the round of 16 in Paris and will not be able to repeat her triumph from last year.
An early exit for the defending champion: Coco Gauff surprisingly failed to reach the round of 16 at the French Open. The American lost 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 4-6 to Anastasia Potapova of Austria on Saturday and must now head home.
Last year, Gauff had prevailed in the final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, securing her second major title following her triumph at the 2023 US Open.
She struggled against Potapova this time around; even winning the first set did not bring her any peace of mind. The Austrian fought her way back and ultimately won after 2 hours and 37 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“I’m almost speechless. It was a great battle,” said the world No. 30. Potapova: “Coco is such a champion; I respect her very much.” In the next round, she will face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.
Thus, the “upset of the favorites” continues in Paris—even though, prior to Gauff’s elimination, the focus had primarily been on the men’s singles with the early defeats of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
In the world rankings, the fourth-seeded American will now drop a few spots.
