Coco Gauff suffered a surprising early exit at Roland Garros 2024, losing to Anastasia Potapova in the third round.
## What happened?

Gauff started strong, taking the first set 6-4, but lost her composure and eventually dropped the match 6-4, 6-7(1), 4-6.
The American had entered the tournament with high expectations, given her recent form on clay and her status as the fourth seed.
## Why it matters for Coco Gauff

This loss was a significant setback for Gauff, who had won the tournament just a year earlier and had the most WTA clay-court wins in 2025.
Gauff's comeback victory over Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final was one of the highlights of the season.
But this year's title defence fell flat, with Gauff unable to find her rhythm and struggling with her play and body language.
## What comes next?

Gauff will look to bounce back from this disappointment and regain her form on the clay courts.
She had recently reached the final of the Italian Open, where she lost to Elina Svitolina.
Other American players, including Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, also suffered surprising early exits at Roland Garros 2024.
Pegula fell to Kimberly Birrell, while Fritz was beaten by Nishesh Basavareddy.
The men's top seed, Jannik Sinner, also suffered a shocking early exit, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
On the women's side, Mirra Andreeva took home the trophy.
Gauff's loss to Potapova was a surprise result, given her recent form and her status as a two-time finalist at Roland Garros.
The American will look to regroup and refocus ahead of her next tournament.
Gauff's defeat was a disappointment for her fans, who had been expecting a strong performance from the young American.
But she will look to learn from her mistakes and come back stronger in her next match.
As the fourth seed, Gauff had been expected to make a deep run at Roland Garros 2024.
But her loss to Potapova was a reminder that anything can happen in tennis.
Gauff will look to put this disappointment behind her and move on to her next challenge.
The American has shown her ability to bounce back from setbacks in the past and will look to do so again.
Gauff's recent form on clay had been impressive, with 2025's most WTA clay-court wins.
But her loss to Potapova was a setback, and she will look to regroup and refocus ahead of her next tournament.