"It didn't make sense" - Iga Swiatek gives her take on Coco Gauff and chair umpire's controversial disagreement during French Open 2024 SF

Iga Swiatek booked her ticket to yet another final at the 2024 French Open after she downed Coco Gauff for the 11th time in 12 meetings between the two. However, the match was overshadowed by a controversial call made by the chair umpire, Aurelie Tourte, during the second set.

Swiatek, with yet another dominant display, has now made it to the final of the French Open for the third consecutive time. She defeated Gauff 6-2, 6-4.

During the second set, Gauff had reservations about a call that went in Swiatek's favor. The World No. 1's serve was initially called out before the American could complete her swing. Later, the serve call was reversed to in, and the chair umpire gave the point to Swiatek.

Gauff protested against the call, alleging that the call was made before she could take her shot. The American's pleas were left unheard as Tourte stood firm on her decision, saying that the call by the line judge did not interfere with her shot.

The American was left visibly angry as she advised the chair umpire to be knowledgeable regarding the rules of the game. The 2023 US Open champion became a little emotional about the incident but quickly regained composure as she broke Swiatek in that very game.

In the post-match press conference, Swiatek was asked to give her thoughts about the incident. The two-time French Open defending champion said that she was not sure if the call was made before or after Gauff's shot, as she was focused on her own game.

"Well, I think here it would only be about you know the sound because if the line umpire called it after Coco’s return or not. I think he called it after her shot but I am never sure honestly because I am focusing kind of on myself. I don’t know what you guys think," Iga Swiatek said.

The World No. 1 added that once a decision was made, it was unlikely to be reversed. She, however, felt that it was fine for Gauff to make her protests heard.

"It’s the umpire’s decision so honestly I knew that if the umpire already made a decision she is not going to change it so I didn’t really want to get into the discussion because for me it didn’t really make sense but if Coco thought differently than it’s normal I guess to say something but I did not know honestly how the conversation look like," she added.

Iga Swiatek backs using replays in tennis

Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon 2022

Iga Swiatek said in the same press conference that it would be a good addition for replays to assist the umpire in decision-making. However, she accepted her lack of knowledge in the field and said that she was unaware of how the replays would work.

"I think it would be easier to have that replay but honestly, I don’t know how it would look like logistically, when can you ask an umpire to call a video replay, or when it’s upto her to do that because I think the umpire today was pretty sure with her call. So I don’t know how that would look like," Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek will take on Jasmine Paolini in the French Open final to bid for her fourth title in the French capital. The title clash will be played on June 8.