Tearful Coco Gauff Crashes Out of Wimbledon in Stunning First-Round Upset

A tearful Coco Gauff admitted, “Yeah, this definitely sucks,” after her unexpected first-round defeat at Wimbledon.

The second seed struggled to explain her early exit, saying, “I don’t know, I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today.”

There were high expectations for Gauff to complete a “Channel Slam” by adding a Wimbledon title to her French Open victory earlier this year.

But those hopes were dashed as she fell to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in less than two hours on Tuesday evening.

Gauff Outplayed by Yastremska

The 21-year-old American could not find answers to Yastremska’s aggressive play. Initially overwhelmed by Yastremska’s power, Gauff tried to force her way back into the match but only made matters worse.

Her risky approach rarely paid off, and her serve deserted her during the first set tie-break, sealing her fate.

Reflecting on her performance, Gauff admitted that perhaps more practice on grass courts might have helped, though she wasn’t entirely sure.

Meanwhile, Yastremska herself was surprised by the result. “I knew that [Gauff] would not give me one ball for free,” she said.

“Today I think I’ve done most of the job. I was leading during the game, during the points. Obviously she plays much playing much better on clay court and hard court and I kind of felt [I have] a bit more priority on grass. But, well, in general, I don’t know!” she added, laughing.

Grass Courts Continue to Trouble Gauff

Gauff first caught the world’s attention at Wimbledon in 2019 when, at just 15, she beat Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round. Despite winning hearts at SW19, she has yet to progress beyond that stage.

Yastremska, despite media speculation about her supposed allergy to grass, played with intensity and confidence, using her forehand to pin Gauff on the back foot from the start.

While Gauff’s serve was powerful, it did not trouble Yastremska, who broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set.

Gauff increased the power in her strokes, which resulted in some exciting rallies but also more unforced errors. She managed to break back at 4-5, forcing a tie-break.

However, two double faults, including one after a let serve, saw her lose the tie-break, her game plan visibly falling apart.

Second Set Collapse

The second set brought little improvement for Gauff. Broken immediately, she struggled to regroup as Yastremska extended her lead to 3-1, then 5-1.

A fan’s call of “Don’t worry Coco, don’t worry!” from the stands only underscored the difficult situation. For Yastremska, it was all smiles as she celebrated the victory.

Other Major Upsets at Wimbledon

It wasn’t just Gauff who made an early exit. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula was also knocked out in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, by Elisabetta Cocciaretto in just 58 minutes.

Pegula praised her opponent, saying, “She played absolutely incredible tennis,” though she admitted, “Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I definitely don’t think I was playing bad. I haven’t lost first round of a slam in a very long time, so that sucks.”

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also bowed out after a 6-3, 6-1 loss to 10th seed Emma Navarro.

The 35-year-old wildcard, who returned to the tour after giving birth to son Petr last summer, confirmed she plans to retire after this year’s US Open. “I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon and I did it twice so this is something very special,” Kvitova told the crowd.

Gauff Reflects on Wimbledon Struggles

Before the tournament, Gauff spoke about her fond memories of her breakthrough performance at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old.

“Even when I see videos of me during that time, it just doesn’t feel like it’s me. It felt like a dream. I’ll always have special memories from that run,” she told The Associated Press.

She hoped to win Wimbledon to complete a “full-circle” moment in her career. But a week after that interview, her tournament ended in a 7-6, 6-1 loss on No. 1 Court.

Serving troubles, including nine double-faults, and more than two dozen unforced errors contributed to her defeat, alongside Yastremska’s flat, powerful groundstrokes.

Disappointment and Hope for the Future

Following the loss, Gauff admitted, “I definitely was struggling in the locker room. I don’t like losing.” But she also acknowledged her achievements, saying her team would remind her of her French Open success to lift her spirits.

Grass courts have historically been Gauff’s least successful surface, with the American never progressing beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Yastremska echoed that, stating Gauff is “much better on clay court and hard court than on grass.”

Gauff has reached at least the semifinals at every other major tournament, including winning the US Open in 2023 and finishing as runner-up at the French Open in 2022 before her title win this year.

Looking Ahead to the US Open

After a hectic period following her French Open win, Gauff admitted feeling “a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards.”

Transitioning from clay to grass courts is notoriously difficult, and it has been a decade since a woman won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season—Serena Williams being the last to do so.

Despite the disappointment, Gauff is determined to look ahead. “I mean, obviously I’m not going to dwell on this too long, because I want to do well at the U.S. Open. Maybe losing here first round isn’t the worst thing in the world,” she said. “Because I have time to reset.”