Coco Gauff left in TEARS after furious row with umpire during French Open semi-final defeat to World No1 Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff says it is ‘ridiculous’ that tennis does not have a video review system, after an on-court argument with the umpire during her 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Iga Swiatek in the French Open semi-finals.

The Polish world No. 1 will go for her third title in a row here at Roland Garros on Saturday against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who beat 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1.

For 20-year-old Gauff it was an afternoon of frustration and fury in Paris. The flashpoint came as Gauff was trying to claw her way back into the match, leading 2-1 in the second set on the Swiatek serve.

Swiatek’s second serve was called out just as Gauff hit her return long. But when the umpire overruled the call and awarded the point to Swiatek, Gauff furiously insisted that she hit her return after the ball had already been called out, and so the point should have been replayed.

Asked by Mail Sport after the match whether tennis should look to introduce a video review system to re-evaluate close decisions such as this, Gauff was adamant.

‘One hundred per cent,’ she said. ‘I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person. In other sports there’s usually multiple refs making a decision.

‘I definitely think at this point it’s almost ridiculous that we don’t have it. Not speaking because that happened to me, but I just think every sport has it. Also, there are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or online and you see that you were completely right, and it’s, like, what does that give you in that moment?

‘I definitely think as a sport we have to evolve, and we have the technology. They’re showing it on TV, so I don’t get why the player can’t see it.’

Coco Gauff was so upset with a bad call from the umpire that she was moved to tears in the 4th game of the 2nd set

But she rebounded and earned the break for 3-1.

Super gutsy moment @PatrickMcEnroe @ChrisMcKendry @Steve_Weissman pic.twitter.com/MkxS8RlSpr

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 6, 2024
‘One hundred per cent,’ she said. ‘I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person. In other sports there’s usually multiple refs making a decision.

‘I definitely think at this point it’s almost ridiculous that we don’t have it. Not speaking because that happened to me, but I just think every sport has it. Also, there are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or online and you see that you were completely right, and it’s, like, what does that give you in that moment?

‘I definitely think as a sport we have to evolve, and we have the technology. They’re showing it on TV, so I don’t get why the player can’t see it.’

The argument on court with umpire Aurelie Tourte left Gauff wiping away tears. ‘He called it and then I hit it. I’m a thousand per cent sure,’ said the American.

‘For me it did not affect your shot,’ replied Tourte.

‘If he called it before I hit it, I stop my reaction. I didn’t even finish my follow-through. He called it before I hit it. Will you ask him?’

‘No, we cannot ask him.’

The crowd were booing enthusiastically at this point – a Pavlovian reaction from the fans here whenever any incident occurs.