At the 2026 French Open, defending champion Coco Gauff was eliminated in the third round after losing a tight three-set match to Anastasia Potapova, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.
Gauff started strong and even held a break advantage in the deciding set, but Potapova turned the match around by winning five of the last six games. The result ends Gauff’s title defense earlier than expected and marks one of the biggest wins of Potapova’s career.
Potapova’s victory continues a strong run on clay and shows her ability to handle pressure in long matches against top-ranked opponents.
Elsewhere in the draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced with a straight-sets win over Daria Kasatkina and set up a highly anticipated fourth-round clash with Naomi Osaka, who also moved through after a tough three-set victory.
The women’s draw has been especially unpredictable this year, with several top seeds already eliminated, leaving the competition wide open heading into the second week.