In a surprising turn of events at Roland Garros, defending champion Coco Gauff was ousted in the third round by Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. The match, which lasted two and a half hours, saw Potapova, seeded 28th, defeat the fourth-seeded Gauff with scores of 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Gauff’s Struggles on Clay

This result marks Gauff’s worst performance at Roland Garros since her debut in 2020. Despite a valiant effort to defend her 2025 title, she was unable to maintain her momentum after rallying back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set. Potapova managed to even the score and dominated the tiebreaker, winning 7-1.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle. Gauff initially took a 3-1 lead after breaking Potapova’s serve in the third game. However, Potapova responded with a strong comeback, winning five of the next six games to secure her victory.

Potapova’s Best Performance

This win allows Potapova to advance to the fourth round, matching her best performance at Roland Garros since 2024. She now has the opportunity to surpass her previous achievements in the tournament.

For Gauff, this defeat adds to a series of disappointing grand slam performances. After her triumph in Paris last year, she was eliminated in the opening round at Wimbledon and in the fourth round at the US Open. She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open earlier this year but hoped for a better outcome on the Parisian clay.

A Tough Day for American Players

Gauff’s loss was part of a challenging day for American women at Roland Garros. Earlier, France’s Diane Parry defeated Amanda Anisimova, a Wimbledon and US Open finalist, in a tight three-set match, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6.

While Gauff’s exit is a significant upset, it is not the only surprise at this year’s tournament. On the men’s side, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and tennis legend Novak Djokovic also faced unexpected early exits, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this year’s competition.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.