American Stars Stumble at French Open as Wozniacki Reflects on Missed Chances

This past weekend proved challenging for American players at the French Open, with defending champion Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova both facing surprising defeats in the third round. Their exits prompted analysis from former tennis greats, including former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who lamented the circumstances surrounding these matches.

Coco Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, was defeated by Austria's Anastasia Potapova in a closely contested match, ending with scores of 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4. Although Gauff started strong by taking the first set, she struggled to regain control as the match progressed. After the loss, she expressed her frustration, saying, “She was able to finish the points and I wasn’t. Just not capitalizing on certain shots. I lost the same way in Rome as I did here. You never want to lose the same way back-to-back times.”

During her appearance on the “Nothing Major Show,” Wozniacki analyzed Gauff's performance, noting, “She won that first set 6-4. She’s cruising, even though she’s not playing her best tennis. … It was just not Coco’s day today.” Wozniacki highlighted that Gauff never seemed fully at ease, adding, “So, not a good day for the Americans,” a sentiment echoed by the early exits of fellow American players, including Anisimova, Iva Jovic, Learner Tien, and Brandon Nakashima.

Anisimova's match against French player Diane Parry was also unexpected, as she lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(3-10). Wozniacki was taken aback by this outcome, saying, “To me, that was a big shock because I thought Diane Parry was a perfect matchup for her.” The atmosphere in the stadium appeared to affect Anisimova’s performance. “I just think the crowd got to her today; she got a little agitated out there,” Wozniacki remarked.

Former player Sam Querrey noted that Anisimova's body language deteriorated during the crucial moments of the tiebreaker, to which Wozniacki agreed, pointing out, “It was. She made some bad mistakes in the tiebreaker, threw in a double fault, hit some loose forehands, and the match just got away from her.”

On a brighter note for American fans, Frances Tiafoe managed a remarkable comeback in his match, overcoming a two-set deficit against Jaime Faria to win 4-6, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-2, thus advancing to the fourth round.