Roland Garros crowns a new champion

The two reigning Roland Garros champions were both forced to exit due to varied circumstances.

Roland Garros 2026 Roland Garros 2026 continues to witness a series of shocks as defending champion Coco Gauff was unexpectedly knocked out in the third round following a defeat to Anastasia Potapova in a match lasting 2 hours and 37 minutes, played on the evening of May 30th Vietnam time.

Entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed, Gauff was viewed as one of the leading title contenders. However, the American failed to stay consistent in key moments and succumbed to a 6-4, 6-7(1), 4-6 loss against Potapova.

The match was fiercely contested from the very first games. Gauff started well by winning the opening set, but Potapova mounted a strong comeback, forcing a deciding set after dominating the second-set tiebreak.

In the final set, the American once held a significant advantage, leading 3-1 and seemingly on the verge of closing out the match in her favor. Yet Potapova showed remarkable composure, saving herself repeatedly at critical moments, including two break points when the score was 3-3.

Capitalizing on her opponent's decline, the Russian-born Austrian tennis beauty completed a stunning comeback after Gauff mishit a forehand from the baseline on the decisive point.

After the match, Gauff honestly acknowledged the shortcomings in her performance. The 22-year-old believes that her defeat in Paris echoes the same issues she faced in previous major clay-court tournaments.

Thus, this year’s Roland Garros will have a new champion. In the men’s singles, Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament, while Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have also been eliminated. The baton is now passing to Alexander Zverev, who has collected nearly all the prestigious titles except a Grand Slam.