The French Open has produced another upset.
American star Coco Gauff, the No. 4 seed and the defending champion, lost to Anastasia Potapova, the No. 28 seed, in the third round at Roland-Garros on Saturday. It’s Gauff’s earliest exit at the French Open since 2020.
There are now no more previous French Open winners on the men’s or women’s side.
Gauff faced an early deficit in the first set as Potapova took a 4-2 lead, though she quickly shifted the momentum to rally and take the opening frame.
Potapova then jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set, but Gauff managed to rally and eventually even things up at 5-5. The second set went to a tiebreaker, where Potapova dominated, winning seven of eight points as Gauff struggled with a host of miscues.
Gauff had the early edge in the third set, taking a 3-1 lead, but Potapova got right back into it with a break and a hold tie it up at 3-3. Leading 5-4, Potapova delivered a forehand that Gauff couldn’t answer, and she put the finishing touches on a stunning upset.
The 25-year-old Potapova will now face Anna Kalinskaya, who beat Camila Osorio in the third round. Potapova has matched her best finish at Roland-Garros, but she’s seeking her first quarterfinal at any Grand Slam event.
Potapova appeared to be managing some arm pain, icing her elbow immediately after the win, but the severity of any potential injury is unclear.
Gauff started the year with a quarterfinal loss in the Australian Open before an injury forced her to retire at Indian Wells, and an illness ended her run at the Madrid Open. The 22-year-old was hoping for more at Roland-Garros, but she’ll instead shift her attention towards Wimbledon.
