Coco Gauff explained what happened during her first-round match at the 2023 Roland Garros against Rebeka Masarova.
In the world of tennis, unwritten rules and sportsmanship etiquette often hold as much weight as the official rulebook. A particular incident during the second H2H meeting on the WTA Tour between the American sensation and her opponent from Spain brought these unwritten rules into the limelight.
During one of the rallies in their intense match, Gauff, who eventually won in three sets, hit a ball that landed in the direction of Masarova's body. Some spectators might have expected an apology from Gauff for this seemingly aggressive move. However, the 19-year-old clarified in the post-match interview why she felt no need to apologize.
According to the American, the incident unfolded as a result of Masarova's strategy. Masarova hit a ball that Gauff described as "bad", following which she chose to charge the net. Gauff noted that this move by Masarova took away the angle she would usually use for a cross-court shot. As a result, she felt she had no other option but to aim the ball in Masarova's direction.
"No. I mean, to be honest, she hit a bad ball and she chose to charge the net after the ball and took away the angle that I had. Normally I would have gone cross but she closed that angle so I just had no choice but to hit at her."
Interestingly, Gauff clarified that she didn't actually hit Masarova with the ball, which was why she didn't feel compelled to apologize. She further expressed that considering Masarova's decision to charge the net after a poor shot, an apology was not warranted.
"I didn't hit her with the ball, which is why I didn't say sorry. If I had hit her with the ball, I would have said sorry. But to be honest, I didn't feel the need to apologize considering she chose to charge the net after she knew she hit a bad ball."
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