Coco Gauff vented after her match with Iga Swiatek at the 2024 Roland Garros because she was frustrated by an incident that happened during the match.
The two young players played an emotional match, and Swiatek ended up winning. Gauff tried her best but didn't quite find the necessary level to win the match. One thing was pretty annoying for the American, and that's a controversial call that came at a really bad time for her, when the match was being decided.
She couldn't change anything about it because the umpire was very sure about the decision, which was very frustrating. Umpire Aurelie Tourte ruled that during her return in the third game of the second set, Gauff wasn't impacted by a call from the line umpire, but she didn't agree with that.
The 20-year-old would have liked a chance to challenge the call, but that's not a possibility in tennis at the moment, with no video referee present.
"100%. 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 in making a decision. I know the US Open brought some of it last year, I believe. I know we used it in our doubles at one point."
Video review is not a tradition in tennis, but it's pretty hard to argue against it. There is no reason not to allow players to review calls, because what's the harm? Everyone involved is trying to have fair matches, and if this can help, then why not?
"Yeah, I definitely think at this point it's almost ridiculous that we don't have it. Not also just 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?"
"Also, in situations you can call for the supervisor, but there's not much they can do from that standpoint. 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."
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