Coco Gauff Upset in Wimbledon First Round
Less than a month after celebrating her maiden Grand Slam victory at the French Open, World No. 2 Coco Gauff faced a stunning early exit at Wimbledon. Unranked Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska delivered a commanding 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 defeat in the tournament’s first round, capitalizing on Gauff’s struggles throughout the match.
Grass courts have historically posed a challenge for Gauff. Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam where she has yet to advance past the semifinals, and this early upset followed a similar Round 1 departure in 2023. The transition from clay to grass continues to vex even the most seasoned players; no woman has claimed both the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same season since Serena Williams achieved that feat in 2015.
During the match, Gauff’s inconsistency became glaring. She accumulated 29 unforced errors and committed 9 double faults, which significantly undercut her ability to maintain rhythm and pressure Yastremska. The Ukrainian, on the other hand, described her performance as being “on fire,” seizing control through aggressive play while exploiting Gauff’s lapses.
Tuesday’s defeat also capped a challenging day for American women at Wimbledon, as fellow top-seed Jessica Pegula exited in the first round. While Gauff expressed disappointment post-match, she affirmed her intent to make strategic shifts in her pre-tournament preparations for future grass-court seasons.
