Coco Gauff will not defend her title at Roland Garros after suffering a shock defeat to Anastasia Potapova.
Gauff won last year’s final against Aryna Sabalenka, but has just bowed out of the Grand Slam in the third round.
The fourth-seeded American was beaten 6-4, 6-7(1-7), 4-6 by the 28th-seeded Austrian after two hours and 37 minutes.
The shock result involving WTA superstar Gauff at Roland Garros has now been discussed by former players Chris Evert and Tim Henman.
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Chris Evert thinks Coco Gauff will be ‘devastated’ after Roland Garros exit
Evert said of Potapova live on TNT Sports: “It’s her day, it’s her court, it’s her match. She kept coming back.
“She believed in herself, she was patient and disciplined with herself.
“And Coco, who was one of the favourites to win this, has to be devastated.
“On paper…I really thought [Amanda] Anisimova and Gauff would come out, that they were the favourites, that they wouldn’t really have a lot of trouble.
“But they played two players who are really emerging and who played the matches of their lives.
“I have never seen Potapova play like that.”
Gauff’s fellow American Anisimova also suffered a third round exit at Roland Garros, losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(3-10) to Diane Parry.
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Tim Henman says Coco Gauff will be ‘upset’ by performance vs Anastasia Potapova
It’s another learning curve for Gauff, who certainly looked good in her previous straight-set wins over Taylor Townsend and Mayar Sherif.
But her wait for a third career Grand Slam title now continues, with Henman believing she’ll be really disappointed following this latest shortcoming.
“It’s another shock and Coco will be pretty upset with her performance,” he said.
“She got the first set under her belt, she was behind in the second, then played a pretty terrible tie-break, making so many unforced errors.
“She was up a break in the third, but Potapova, to give her credit, she kept going for her shots.
“Once you get into that type of scenario, the pressure builds and you get tight.
“We know Coco can struggle on that forehand side and Potapova played with a lot more freedom.
“She was aggressive from the back of the court and in the right moments she kept the ball on the island, and it paid off.
“But that’s another massive upset for this tournament.”
READ MORE: Aryna Sabalenka shares what Coco Gauff is really like to be around after their French Open final
Upsets have been common in the early stages of Roland Garros, with Elena Rybakina losing in the second round and Iga Swiatek falling in the fourth.
Meanwhile Potapova, who deserves huge credit for knocking out the defending champion, meets Anna Kalinskaya in round four.
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