Coco Gauff, fresh off her recent French Open victory, faced a surprising defeat in the first round of Wimbledon, marking her as only the third woman in the Open era to lose in the opening round immediately following a Grand Slam title. Gauff, the No.
2 seed, succumbed to unseeded Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-1. Despite her high ranking, Gauff struggled throughout the match, accumulating a disappointing six winners and an alarming 29 unforced errors, including nine double-faults.
Gauff recognized that her performance was lacking, saying, “Dayana started off playing strong. I couldn’t find my footing out there today.”
The loss was particularly significant as Gauff joined another American player, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, in an early exit from the tournament.
In total, 23 seeded players—13 men and 10 women—had been eliminated before the conclusion of the first round, tying the record for the most early exits in a Grand Slam tournament since 2001. Just a few weeks prior, Gauff celebrated her second Grand Slam title, triumphing over World No.
1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final at Roland-Garros. Gauff acknowledged the emotional toll of the quick transition back to competition, stating, “I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards.”
Despite the perception of her previous success at Wimbledon, this tournament has historically been her least successful major. Gauff has yet to advance past the fourth round at Wimbledon, and this week’s exit marked her second first-round departure in three years.
The transition from clay to grass can be challenging for many players, and only Serena Williams has successfully navigated this route in recent history. As for Yastremska, she took advantage of Gauff’s struggles, showcasing impressive form with 16 winners.
Having recently reached a final on grass, she entered the match with newfound confidence. “I love playing on grass.
I feel that this year we are kind of friends,” she said, hopeful for her continued success in the tournament.