Coco Gauff eliminated from Paris 2024 Olympics singles, left in tears after extended argument with umpire

Despite being heavily favored against Donna Vekic of Croatia pre-match, American tennis sensation Coco Gauff was stunningly beaten in straight sets on Tuesday.

Vekic defeated Gauff 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the third round of the Paris Olympic women's singles tournament, eliminating the 20-year-old American from the competition. Nonetheless, the biggest takeaway from the contest may not necessarily be the result.

In the middle of the deciding set, Gauff wept after an officiating blunder gave Vekic a service break.

Gauff served, which Vekic returned with a shot that got called out by a line judge upon first glance, though the referee corrected it. In response, Gauff hit the ball into the net, thinking the situation would merit replaying the point. However, chair umpire Jaume Campistol saw it differently.

Campistol rewarded Vekic with the point, deeming that the initial ruling didn't hamper Gauff's swing. Unfortunately, that didn't sit right with the No. 2 seeded woman at the Olympics in singles, who tried pleading her case.

Gauff approached Campistol, pausing the action for a handful of minutes. Alas, it was to no avail, leaving the reigning US Open champion in tears.

Coco Gauff eliminated from Paris 2024 Olympics singles and left in tears after frustrating loss, extended argument with the umpire

"I never argue these calls. But he called it out before I hit the ball," Gauff told Campistol. "It's not even a perception -- it's the rules."

While it was a sad moment, it shouldn't detract from the spirited battle between Vekic and Gauff. Despite the controversy, the former was already on her way to victory. So, we cannot say it would've changed the outcome had the call gone the latter's way, which she acknowledged afterward:

"I'm not going to sit here and say one point affected the result today," Gauff stated. Moreover, she admitted she was "already on the losing side of things."

Vekic pulled off what may be the upset of the tournament. Not only did she trail 2-5 in the first set, but she saved three set points. With the win, the 28-year-old reached her first Olympic quarterfinals. Now, she awaits the winner of Maria Sakkari of Greece and Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk.