"They deserve their spot": Coco Gauff calls out Wimbledon fans for disrespecting lower-ranked players

America’s tennis star Coco Gauff believes fans have been disrespectful towards lower-ranked players at Wimbledon. The third Grand Slam of the year is moving towards the business end, where the remaining players are battling to secure the ultimate prize.

Gauff, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis along with Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, has been knocked out of the mega-event after losing in the fourth round to fellow American in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-3.

Gauff was quoted in a report after the contest where she spoke about how the fans have disrespected lower-ranked players in the competition. The Atlanta-born further stated that players who reach far in the competition are competent and talented enough.

“We’ve seen how a lot of seeds drop out. We’ve seen defending champions drop out. It means nothing,” she said. “I think that’s something that people… fans of the game are a little bit disrespectful when it comes to other players on tour. Maybe the ranking isn’t there. But the level is there. And they’re here for a reason. They deserve their spot. There’s no easy draw. There’s no cake walk or anything. This is competitive sport.”

With that defeat, Gauff continued her poor run in the competition. Her best outing in the competition remains the fourth round, where she has now faltered three times. It remains the only Grand Slam where Gauff has never been able to play in the semifinal or beyond. She previously faltered in the fourth round in 2019, losing to Belgium’s Simona Halep in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3. She once again lost in the fourth round in 2021 to Germany’s Angelique Kerber who came out on top in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4.