Defending champion Gauff eliminated from French Open by Potapova

Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff mislaid successful 3 sets to Austrian Anastasia Potapova to extremity her Roland Garros rubric defence connected Saturday (May 30, 2026).

The 4th effect was defeated successful the 3rd circular 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 by the 28th effect aft being a interruption up successful the deciding set.

"I deliberation I've had a fewer (big wins) before, but I'd enactment it apical 3 for sure," Potapova said connected tribunal aft earning a vocation 3rd triumph implicit Gauff.

Despite losing her archetypal work crippled to unfastened the match, Gauff struck backmost to interruption the Russian-born Austrian successful the eighth and 10th games and instrumentality the lead.

Potapova responded with 2 consecutive breaks of her ain to contention 3-0 up astatine the commencement of the 2nd frame.

The 25-year-old's service past deserted her arsenic well, arsenic the adjacent 5 games each produced breaks, with Potapova passing up 2 acceptable points down her ain delivery.

Gauff responded to that reprieve by earning her archetypal clasp of the acceptable to unit Potapova to service again for the frame.

The two-time large victor broke the satellite fig 30 to level astatine 5-5 earlier holding again.

But Potapova past refound her ain service to unit a tie-break.

A treble responsibility dropped Gauff 5-0 behind, earlier she yet got connected the committee erstwhile Potapova overcooked a backhand. It was excessively little, excessively late, however, arsenic the Austrian powered to the adjacent 2 points and sent the lucifer into a deciding set.

Gauff drew archetypal humor successful the decider, pouncing connected Potapova's service successful the 3rd crippled to chemoreceptor successful front, earlier being pegged backmost to 3-3.

A treble responsibility successful the adjacent crippled brought Gauff 2 break-back points, but gutsy play allowed Potapova to hold.

A booming backhand victor down the enactment and a miss-hit Gauff forehand from deuce enactment Potapova 5-4 up with the satellite fig 4 serving to support her rubric defence alive.

But from 30-0, Gauff rapidly unravelled and Potapova fell connected her backmost successful solemnisation arsenic the American returned agelong and departed the tournament.

Potapova volition conscionable Russian 22nd effect Anna Kalinskaya for a spot successful the quarter-finals.