Coco Gauff falls in Wimbledon first round to Dayana Yastremska
Coco Gauff, the second seed and reigning French Open champion, was eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon by Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-1. The result marked the most significant upset of the tournament's opening rounds.
“Yeah, this definitely sucks,” said Gauff. “I don’t know, I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today.”
Also read: Line judges missed at Wimbledon as AI takes their jobs
Gauff entered the tournament aiming for a rare “Channel Slam” by winning both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. However, her performance at the All England Club fell short as she failed to adapt to Yastremska’s consistent power and shot placement.
Despite being the stronger server, Gauff was broken at 4-2 in the first set. Though she broke back and forced a tiebreak, she committed two double faults in the breaker, effectively conceding the set. In the second set, Yastremska broke Gauff at 1-0 and 3-1, closing the match without allowing her opponent to recover.
Gauff noted that more preparation on grass courts might have improved her performance but admitted uncertainty.
Yastremska advances after confident grass-court display
Dayana Yastremska expressed surprise at her own win, saying, “I knew that [Gauff] would not give me one ball for free… Today I think I’ve done most of the job. I was leading during the game, during the points.”
Yastremska used a consistent and low forehand to pressure Gauff from the start. Though Gauff attempted to respond with increased power, the strategy backfired, resulting in unforced errors. Gauff’s difficulty in varying shot selection allowed Yastremska to dictate pace and court positioning.
Gauff, who previously reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019 as a 15-year-old, has not yet advanced further in the tournament since.
Also read: Wimbledon’s love affair with strawberries & cream since 1877
Pegula, Kvitova among other Wimbledon first-round exits
The second day of Wimbledon also saw third seed Jessica Pegula lose in straight sets to Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-2, 6-3, in just 58 minutes.
“She played absolutely incredible tennis,” said Pegula. “Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I definitely don’t think I was playing bad.”
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, returning from maternity leave, was defeated by 10th seed Emma Navarro, 6-3, 6-1. Kvitova, who plans to retire after the US Open, said, “I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon and I did it twice so this is something very special.”
Coco Gauff, the second seed and reigning French Open champion, was eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon by Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-1. The result marked the most significant upset of the tournament's opening rounds.
“Yeah, this definitely sucks,” said Gauff. “I don’t know, I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today.”
Also read: Line judges missed at Wimbledon as AI takes their jobs
Gauff entered the tournament aiming for a rare “Channel Slam” by winning both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. However, her performance at the All England Club fell short as she failed to adapt to Yastremska’s consistent power and shot placement.
Despite being the stronger server, Gauff was broken at 4-2 in the first set. Though she broke back and forced a tiebreak, she committed two double faults in the breaker, effectively conceding the set. In the second set, Yastremska broke Gauff at 1-0 and 3-1, closing the match without allowing her opponent to recover.
Gauff noted that more preparation on grass courts might have improved her performance but admitted uncertainty.
Yastremska advances after confident grass-court display
Dayana Yastremska expressed surprise at her own win, saying, “I knew that [Gauff] would not give me one ball for free… Today I think I’ve done most of the job. I was leading during the game, during the points.”
Yastremska used a consistent and low forehand to pressure Gauff from the start. Though Gauff attempted to respond with increased power, the strategy backfired, resulting in unforced errors. Gauff’s difficulty in varying shot selection allowed Yastremska to dictate pace and court positioning.
Gauff, who previously reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019 as a 15-year-old, has not yet advanced further in the tournament since.
Also read: Wimbledon’s love affair with strawberries & cream since 1877
Pegula, Kvitova among other Wimbledon first-round exits
The second day of Wimbledon also saw third seed Jessica Pegula lose in straight sets to Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-2, 6-3, in just 58 minutes.
“She played absolutely incredible tennis,” said Pegula. “Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I definitely don’t think I was playing bad.”
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, returning from maternity leave, was defeated by 10th seed Emma Navarro, 6-3, 6-1. Kvitova, who plans to retire after the US Open, said, “I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon and I did it twice so this is something very special.”
