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Abayomi Ademola
Defending champion Coco Gauff was eliminated from the 2026 French Open on Saturday after blowing a one-set lead in a shock third-round loss to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova.
The fourth seed became the latest high-profile casualty at Roland-Garros, following the early exits of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina in what has been a tournament full of surprises.
Potapova produced one of the best performances of her career, earning a 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 victory on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The world number 30 fought back from the brink of defeat in the second set, where she was just two points away from elimination, before dominating the tie-break and carrying that momentum into the decider. The victory sends her to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career.
The loss will be a big disappointment for Gauff, who seemed headed for victory after winning the first set and then holding a lead in the deciding set. However, Potapova’s aggressive baseline play and fearless shooting gradually tipped the contest in her favor.
Former British No. 1 Tim Henman said: “It’s another surprise and Coco will be quite upset with her performance. She got the first set under her belt, was behind in the second, then played a pretty terrible tie-break, making so many unforced errors.”
Reflecting on the biggest wins of her career, Potapova said: “I have no words right now. I’m so happy for the fight we were able to show, both of us, I mean, Coco is a great champion and I respect her a lot. I’m incredibly proud of myself for staying there, for fighting for the last point. And here I am.” When asked if it was the biggest win of his career, he responded: “I’ve had a few before, but it’s up there for sure. I’d definitely put it in the top three.” Potapova will now face fellow Russian Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round, with a place in the semi-finals increasingly within reach following the exit of several top contenders.
