French Open: Tennis Fans Lambast Chris Evert as Coco Gauff Bias Blinds Her in Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini’s Final

French Open titans Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff met again in Paris, this time for a French Open final berth. Both players boasted sizzling form on the clay, but history favored the Polish player. Swiatek had dominated their previous encounters, winning 10 out of 11 matches. True to form, she emerged victorious (6-2, 6-4) on Court Philippe-Chatrier, securing another Grand Slam final spot. However, a controversial call by umpire Aurélie Tourte in the second set left Gauff in tears and American tennis legend Chris Evert fuming, adding a layer of drama to the match.

The second set was on serve, with Gauff eyeing a potential break at 0-15. However, a firecracker serve from Swiatek was called out. Gauff, assuming the point was over, played a loose return that sailed wide. But the umpire, Aurélie Tourte, overruled the line judge, awarding the point to Swiatek. Gauff erupted, arguing the initial call impacted her return. The incident, hinging on a split-second decision, became a flashpoint in the match.

The umpire overruled a Swiatek serve initially called “out,” leaving Gauff discontented, saying, “You are wrong, and it’s the second time it has happened. It is a Grand Slam semi-final, know the rules of the game.” Claiming the initial call affected her return (which went wide), Gauff wasn’t alone in her frustration. Tennis legend Chris Evert also voiced her disapproval of the decision. She slammed the call as “awful” and seemed heartbroken to see Gauff in tears.

“Did she return it before the call or after the call, that is the big dilemma,” the seven-time Roland Garros winner said, while adding, “She(Coco) is right, by the way. Coco Gauff is right, absolutely. She would never, ever tell a lie to the umpire. She is crying. That is awful, awful officiating, the umpire’s decision. She is saying that she had a play on it.”

However, that was not all. Seemingly, even during the French Open final between Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini, Chris Evert’s commentary faced criticism for its perceived bias towards Coco Gauff. Some viewers felt the veteran was still focused excessively on Gauff, discussing hypothetical scenarios of how Swiatek might have felt facing Gauff instead of analyzing the actual final.

Viewers divided over Evert’s Gauff mentions

This is not the first that Chris Evert has come under fire. In September, last year, during the Citi champion’s third round clash between Gauff and Elise Mertens, Evert had reportedly ignored the latter while praising the 20-year-old US player. Even back then, fans had pointed out the seemingly problematic nature of this behavior.

This time, though, many felt that the umpire had called the match incorrectly and were sympathetic to the reigning US Open champion. But they also held the veteran accountable for her generous support of her fellow countrywoman, which has also transcended from the commentary box to her social media handles occasionally.

A common complaint is the significant difference in volume between Evert and her British co-commentators’ words. “Chris Evert on comms does not work for me… it’s like her voice is just so much louder than whichever British commentator she’s with, it’s jarring,” one tweet read.

On the other hand, a fan shared a sentiment that echoed a growing dissatisfaction with Evert’s commentary. “LMAOOO Chris Evert really say if she met a Coco Gauff in final she would be more stressed out than Paolini.” A victory for Coco Gauff over Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals would have set up a Roland Garros final against Jasmine Paolini. It would have been the first time Gauff and Paolini clashed competitively.

Another fan also emphasized, “Chrissie saying that iga would b more nervous if she were facing coco in this match and ehhh…im not so sure.” While the specific pressures of the encounter remain unknown, Gauff’s self-assessment suggests she felt there was room for improvement in Swiatek’s performance. However, the reality was different as, following her semi-final defeat to the World No.1 player, Coco Gauff readily acknowledged the “errors” she made during the match. “For the most part I think I had the right idea, but I made too many errors. I feel like I wasn’t hit off the court today, I feel like I made too many errors, especially on the shorter balls.”

To the annoyance of many tennis fans, her commentary sessions have continuously concentrated on Coco Gauff’s on-and off-court activities. “Chris Evert is the most annoying commentator 🤬 all she does is notice Iga’s ‘oh she should be here by now, oh she’s taking her time blah blah.’” a fan wrote, expressing their anger with the supposed favoritism. However, the love isn’t one sided as, like Evert, Gauff is equally obsessed with the American commentator and credits her to be one of the “first names people think of”. 

Back in 2023, Tennis legend Chris Evert presented the trophy to Iga Swiatek after her French Open victory. Following Iga Swiatek’s dominant win at Roland Garros, Eurosport analyst Chris Evert shared what she told the champion.

“I just said she was unbelievable,” Evert began as she recounted what she told Swiatek on the podium. However, Evert further went on to address the room of improvement for Iga: “She hits the ball harder than a man. She can take those mid-court balls and volley them. She can still improve.” Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the biased comments? Do let us know in the comment section below.