Coco Gauff Exits French Open as Potapova Triumphs

Anastasia Potapova ended Coco Gauff’s journey at the French Open with a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4 win in the third round. Potapova matched Gauff in her trademark long baseline rallies.

“Coco is such a champion. I respect her so much,” Potapova said. “I’m unbelievably proud of myself as well that I stayed there, that I’ve been fighting for the last point and here I am.”

The match was played in front of sparse crowds at Court Philippe-Chatrier. Many French fans chose to watch the Champions League soccer final.

Gauff, who secured her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last year by defeating Aryna Sabalenka, faced a determined Potapova. Potapova improved her career record against Gauff to 3-2. Potapova, ranked 30th, showed strong performance on clay courts, having reached the final in Linz and the semifinals at the Madrid Open.

Gauff returned from a successful Italian Open run. On match point, Gauff’s forehand went wide, giving Potapova the victory. Gauff left the court swiftly after acknowledging the crowd.

Gauff’s play was not marred by errors — she managed to avoid double faults and reduced her unforced errors compared to Potapova. Potapova dominated longer rallies, forcing Gauff to cover more ground on the court, 2,309 meters to Potapova’s 2,090.

Naomi Osaka’s Fashion Highlight

In previous action, Naomi Osaka played her 100th Grand Slam against Iva Jovic, winning 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4. Osaka will now face top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who effortlessly beat Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5.

Osaka made headlines for her fashion choices — wearing a metallic gold bomber jacket over her sequined dress at Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Her outfits, planned long in advance, aim to bring a fun element to her matches.

Reflecting on the past, Osaka shared how fashion has helped her embrace joy again in the sport after addressing mental health concerns in 2021.

Tournament Updates

A heatwave continued for seven days, with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit). Relief is expected in the coming days.

During Osaka’s match, a spectator became ill due to the heat, requiring medical attention.

Other matches saw French player Diane Parry defeat Amanda Anisimova, while Diana Shnaider won against Oleksandra Oliynykova. In men’s matches, Alejandro Tabilo triumphed over Moise Kouame, and Matteo Berrettini outlasted Francisco Comesana in a marathon match.

Flavio Cobolli bested Learner Tien and will face Zachary Svajda next. Felix Auger-Aliassime is set to play Brandon Nakashima. Auger-Aliassime is the highest-seeded player remaining in his section after Jannik Sinner’s earlier exit.

Organizers made safety adjustments, moving advertising boards after a player tripped during a doubles match.