Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@espn
Topics: Sport, World News, US News
Niamh Spence
US tennis player Coco Gauff has explained why she lost her cool during one of her matches for the US Open.
In a match against against Laura Siegemund on Sunday (27 August), US tennis star Coco Gauff exploded at the chair umpire after she let Siegemund seemingly delay play with time wasting tactics.
Gauff held a three set lead in the match when Siegemund signalled she wasn't ready for Gauff to serve and the umpire instructed Gauff to wait.
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As the umpire instructed her to hold her serve, Gauff called her out on court as the crowd cheered her standing up for herself.
Challenging the umpire's decision, Gauff said: "She’s never ready when I’m serving, she went over to talk like four times, you only gave her a time violation once, how is this fair?
"No, you’re calling the score after the point is over, it’s not like we’re playing long points. You’re calling the score like six seconds after the point is over!"
ESPN commentator, Patrick McEnroe, could be heard backing up Gauff as he defended her anger: "She’s 100 percent right."
Gauff continued her argument with the umpire as she said: "You have missed her like four times. She’s never ready! It’s not like we’re having, like 30-ball rallies. It’s two balls…I’m going at a normal speed! Ask any ref here, I go at a medium-pace speed.
"She can’t [go back] every single point. And everybody in this crowd knows I’ve been quiet this whole match…That first set, it was like every point. I didn’t say nothing, but now it’s ridiculous. I don’t care what she’s putting on her serves, on my serves she has to be ready."
As she finished her tirade and returned to her position on court, Gauff was supported by the US Open crowd who cheered her on for calling out the time wasting tactics.
Siegemund, who is ranked 123rd, was reprimanded in the third set for time wasting and earned a time violation from the umpire, as she used all her time whilst serving, and paused Gauff from taking her serve.
In a press conference after the match, the German tennis player broke down in tears claiming she was treated as 'a bad person.'
She told media: "They treated me like I was a bad person. Would I enjoy it more if you played a great shot and people screamed and gave you the respect you deserve for your performance in that moment? Yes, you enjoy it more.
"I'm 35. What do I play tennis for? I made good money, I'm probably not going to reach my best rankings anymore. I play out there for the people, for the effort.
"I can still play. My body is giving me the chance to play a little bit more and I know there are fans out there that appreciate fighting and not giving up and just good sport."
Despite the angry outburst, Gauff didn't let it put her off her winning streak as she won the match. The US tennis star is one of the hot favourite's to win the Grand Slam. She previously won hardcourt tournaments in both Washington D.C. and Cincinnati this summer in the lead-up to the U.S. Open.