Disputed Call Ends Coco Gauff’s Paris Olympics Match Against Donna Vekic

 Disputed Call Ends Coco Gauff’s Paris Olympics Match Against Donna Vekic

Coco Gauff faced a dramatic and controversial end to her run in the women's singles tournament in Paris, as her match against Croatia's Donna Vekic was marred by a last-minute call reversal. The incident occurred toward the end of the second set, with Gauff trailing 2-3 and facing a break point.

Vekic returned a forehand shot that was initially ruled out by a line judge just as Gauff was about to strike the ball. Assuming the point was over, Gauff didn't complete her stroke properly, and the ball hit the net. However, the chair umpire promptly overruled the line judge's call, declaring Vekic's shot in and ruling Gauff's return a fault. This decision awarded the point to Vekic, giving her a crucial break.

Gauff immediately disputed the call with the chair umpire, expressing her frustration and confusion. "You called the ball out before I even hit the ball," she argued. The chair umpire, however, stood by the decision, explaining that the timing of the call did not matter. Gauff's frustration escalated when the tournament referee, Clare Wood, came onto the court. Visibly upset, Gauff lamented her repeated bad luck on this particular court and voiced her desire for fairness in the game.

Despite the crowd's vocal support for Gauff, who directed some of their frustration toward Vekic, the American player struggled to regain her composure and ultimately lost the second set, ending her campaign in Paris.

Breakdown of the Incident

Ruling Controversy: The controversy stemmed from the chair umpire's overrule of the line judge's "out" call. Normally, an "out" call signifies the end of the rally, with the point awarded to the opponent. However, the chair umpire's correction meant Vekic's shot was considered in play, and Gauff's incomplete return was deemed a fault.

Authority of the Chair Umpire: According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rules, a chair umpire can overrule a line judge if the initial call was a clear mistake and the overrule is made promptly. This rule legitimized the chair umpire's decision during Gauff's match.

Roles of Officials: In tennis, line judges are responsible for calling balls in or out of bounds, while the chair umpire oversees the entire match, ensuring rules are followed and managing disputes. The chair umpire has the final say over line judges.

Gauff's Previous Experiences

This incident was not the first time Gauff had faced call reversals in crucial matches. In the 2024 French Open semifinal against Iga Swiatek, a similar situation occurred where a reversed call impacted Gauff's play, leading her to argue that the out call affected her stroke. Gauff expressed her frustration with the lack of video review in tennis, which could prevent such disputes.

Earlier in 2024, during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Gauff had another argument with a chair umpire over a call during her match against Karolina Pliskova. Despite winning that match, Gauff's frequent encounters with call controversies highlight a recurring issue in her matches.

Future Competitions

Despite the setback in Paris, Gauff remains a formidable competitor. She is also participating in the women's doubles with Jessica Pegula and mixed doubles with Taylor Fritz in the Olympic events, showcasing her versatility and determination to succeed across multiple formats of the game.

Gauff's experiences underscore the need for clearer and more consistent officiating in tennis, and perhaps the adoption of video review systems in more tournaments to ensure fairness and accuracy in crucial match moments.