Coco Gauff’s Roland Garros title defence came to an end on Saturday with a loss to Anastasia Potapova in the third round.
Gauff, who clinched a maiden French Open crown at last year’s edition of the event, fell to the Austrian in three sets, 4-6, 6-7, 4-6.
The American had recorded a convincing start to her campaign in Paris, with two straight set wins, but could not find an answer for Potapova, who recently reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open.
What does Coco Gauff need to improve to become a major champion once again?
Gauff managed to keep the double-fault tally relatively low during the match (3), which is an issue that she has struggled with a lot over the past year.
But there was another part of her game that really let her down, says former US Open champion Andy Roddick.
Andy Roddick reacts to Coco Gauff’s exit from Roland Garros
Speaking in an episode of ‘Served‘, Roddick said: “One – Coco makes everything so physical, right?
“And Potapova was… She didn’t take a lot of swings off today. I mean, literally just going after every single ball, and there were some rough rallies. The serve was okay. She didn’t have her first double fault until a second-set breaker.
“She just kind of missed some shots that you’re not really used to her missing in that second set, and then all of a sudden, when you get to a third set, it’s a fight. You know, it’s kind of even money. It was like the opposite of what we’ve seen from Coco.
“The serve was okay through the first two sets. You know, third set, like the ground game, I think, let her down a little bit today.”
Where will Coco Gauff be ranked at the end of the 2026 season?
“Yeah, this one, I just felt like Coco was gonna dig it out the entire time.
“And then once she got up 6-5, but it was like, Potapova was up in the first set, let it get away. Way up in the second set, let it get away, and then Coco had her in the breaker, even Lindsay was on the call, and she was like, these are just weird errors.
“Like, it was it was kind of out of nowhere rally balls, which is not normally what you’d expect from Coco. It wasn’t as if she was going after the forehand and missing it, or double faulting and, you know, that’s why you play it every day
“You know, the past is a hint at the future, but by no means does it make it a rule. But credit to Potapova.”
Aryna Sabalenka now given favourable route to the final
With Gauff’s exit, last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka now has a very favourable route to a second consecutive Roland Garros final.
Sabalenka, on the same side of the draw as Gauff, will take on Naomi Osaka next, whom she has not lost to since 2018.
Should she advance past the Japanese star, the world number one will face the winner of Madison Keys and Diana Shnaider.
Potential semifinal opponents for Sabalenka include Potapova, Anna Kalinskaya, Maja Chwalinska and home hope Diane Parry.
A triumph at Roland Garros would mark Sabalenka’s fifth major title, and she would be just a Wimbledon crown away from the Career Grand Slam.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
