Anyone who has ever played a sport that involves balls and a net is familiar with the frustration of having a ruling made against you when you feel confident you are right. It could happen in the schoolyard, with a parent, or, heaven forbid, in court. But when it happens in a professional match, it can have far-reaching consequences. That was the scenario faced by 19-year-old Coco Gauff in Dubai on Thursday when a heated exchange with the chair umpire sent the young American’s career into overdrive.
Gauff said a heated exchange with the chair umpire midway through her match with Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday had spurred her on to complete a 2-6 6-4 6-3 victory and reach the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The U.S. Open champion lost the first set but was leading 4-2 in the second when her first serve at deuce, which Pliskova returned into the net, was called out. The American challenged the call and won the review, but French chair umpire Pierre Bacchi refused to award the point. Gauff pleaded with him to bring the supervisor onto the court, but Bacchi was unmoved.
The pair had a five-minute discussion, during which Gauff was forced to take a timeout before resuming her match. She eventually won the replayed point and pushed on to win the set, though Pliskova saved four set points in the final game before Gauff held her serve for a 5-3 lead. The American broke the Czech in the eighth game to close the match and advance to her third quarter-final of 2024.
After the match, Gauff warmly embraced her coach, Pere Riba, and her team, then headed back out to change. But instead of going straight inside for a shower, she opted to join her team playing spikeball, a handball-style game played around a small net in a field next to the players’ lounge. “Usually, after a match, I’m exhausted and just want to go and chill, but today was different,” she said.
As well as her coach and trainer, Gauff was joined on the court by family members and friends who all celebrated wildly when she won. She then FaceTimed her brother before being congratulated by her compatriot, world No 3 Aryna Sabalenka, who proclaimed Gauff a new star. The young American then retreated to her coach’s box for a short prayer before addressing the media. Corey Gauff, her father and head coach who is also the assistant to Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams to seven grand slam titles, looked on from the sidelines with tears in his eyes. “You’re the most special person I know,” he told his daughter. “I love you so much.” Then he turned and walked away. This story is sure to get a lot of attention, and rightly so. It’s just the start of what promises to be a remarkable journey for Gauff.