Defending Champion Gauff Stunned by Potapova in French Open Third Round

Defending champion Coco Gauff suffered a shock exit from the French Open after losing to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova in a hard-fought third-round encounter.

The fourth-seeded American was beaten 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 by the tournament’s 28th seed, despite holding a break advantage in the deciding set.

Speaking after the match, Gauff dismissed suggestions that the pressure of defending her title contributed to the defeat. The two-time Grand Slam champion said she felt more composed than she did during her title defence at the 2024 US Open.

According to Gauff, the result was particularly disappointing because she believed she had grown significantly as a player and was unable to showcase her progress on the day.

The American started strongly, recovering from an early service break to take control of the opening set. She broke Potapova twice late in the set to secure a 6-4 victory and move ahead in the match.

Potapova responded aggressively in the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead after securing consecutive breaks of serve. However, both players struggled to hold serve as momentum swung repeatedly throughout the set.

The Austrian missed two opportunities to close out the set before Gauff fought back to level the score at 5-5. Potapova eventually regained her composure to force a tiebreak, where she dominated and comfortably sealed the set to level the match.

The deciding set proved equally dramatic.

Gauff appeared to be in control after earning an early break, but Potapova battled back to level the score at 3-3. The Austrian then held her nerve during crucial moments, saving break points before edging ahead late in the contest.

Serving to stay in the tournament at 5-4 down, Gauff led 30-0 but suddenly lost momentum. Potapova capitalised on the opportunity and completed the upset when Gauff sent a return long, sparking celebrations from the Austrian.

Reflecting on the victory, Potapova described it as one of the biggest wins of her career and credited her success to maintaining focus on each point rather than the scoreline.

She explained that staying in the moment helped her remain calm during difficult stages of the match and ultimately gave her the opportunity to turn the contest in her favour.

With the victory, Potapova advances to the fourth round, where she will face fellow Russian Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the quarter-finals.

The result marks one of the biggest upsets of this year’s French Open and brings an early end to Gauff’s bid to retain the title she won last season.