July 30, (THEWILL) – American tennis star Coco Gauff’s quest for Olympic singles gold came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday at Roland Garros. The 20-year-old second seed lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the third round, with a final score of 7-6(7) 6-2.

Gauff started strong, leading 5-2 in the first set. However, 28-year-old Vekic mounted an impressive comeback, winning the tiebreak and dominating the second set. The match was played in extremely hot conditions, which added to the challenge for both players.

Tension picked up in the second set when Gauff disputed a line call that put her 4-2 down. The American player’s protests to the umpire and supervisor were unsuccessful, and she was heard saying: “I’m being cheated.” Despite support from the crowd, Gauff could not regain her composure, and her game faltered.

Vekic’s victory marks a significant achievement for Croatian tennis, as she becomes the first player from her country to reach the Olympic women’s singles quarter-finals since Iva Majoli in 1996. The 13th seed will now look to continue her strong form in the next round.

While Gauff’s singles campaign has ended, she will now focus on the mixed doubles and women’s doubles events. The young American will hope to bounce back and still have a chance at Olympic glory in these competitions.

Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.