Heated scenes at US Open as Coco Gauff argues with chair umpire over Laura Siegemund escaping time violation, German's response earns boos from crowd
There was tension during Coco Gauff and Laura Siegemund's first-round clash at the 2023 US Open on Monday. Gauff was not happy about the German's delays while getting ready to return serve, and she argued with the chair umpire about it.
Gauff commenced her campaign at Flushing Meadows with an impressive comeback win over Siegemund. Despite losing the first set 3-6, the 19-year-old bounced back strongly to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory in 2 hours and 51 minutes.
The clash took a dramatic turn in the third set when Coco Gauff approached the chair umpire to complain about Siegemund taking too long to get ready to return. The World No. 6 argued that the German had escaped time violations multiple times over the course of the match.
"She's never ready when I'm serving. She went over the clock like four times, you gave her a time violation once. How is this fair? No, you're calling the score after the point is over. It's not like we're playing a lot of points. You're calling the score like six seconds after the point is over. You've missed her like four times. She's never ready. It's not like we're having 30-ball rallies. It's two balls," Gauff said.
When the chair umpire told Gauff she was being "very quick" herself, the World No. 6 countered that she was maintaining a standard pace of play.
"You're very quick," the umpire said.
"I'm not, I'm going the normal speed. Ask any ref here, I go at medium pace speed. But she can't, every single point and everybody in this crowd knows. I've been quiet the whole match. I didn't even clap for the time violation but she's been missing for like six points. First set, every game, second set, every game. I didn't say nothing but now it's ridiculous. I don't care what she's doing on her serve. My serve, she has to be ready," Gauff responded.
Rallying behind the home favorite, the crowd booed Siegemund as she approached the umpire to argue her case later in the set.
"I'm going, one time in I don't know how many points, one time I go to the towel on her serve. Her last service game, I never went to the towel. She's being really fast, almost unreasonably fast and I go with her. And one time I go to the towel," Siegemund said.
Despite the 35-year-old's protests, the umpire disagreed with her perspective. Siegemund subsequently walked back in disappointment.
"So I can't go to the towel at all anymore?" the German asked.
Gauff was spotted smiling as the crowd cheered after the German's retreat.
Coco Gauff set to lock horns with Mirra Andreeva in US Open 2R
Following her win over Laura Siegemund, Coco Gauff will lock horns with Mirra Andreeva in the second round of the 2023 US Open. The 16-year-old Andreeva is making her debut at the New York Major.
Andreeva secured a comeback win over Olivia Gadecki in the first round, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to book her spot against Gauff. The American won their sole previous encounter, which came at the 2023 French Open, in three sets.
Should Gauff emerge victorious against the Russian, she will take on the winner of the match between Danielle Collins and Elise Mertens in the third round.