Coco Gauff gets shocked in first round at Wimbledon
- Coco Gauff lost to Dayana Yastremska in the first round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
- Gauff, who had recently won the French Open, committed 29 unforced errors during the match.
- This defeat marks a troubling trend in Gauff's Wimbledon history, as she has not advanced past the fourth round and has had two first-round exits in the past three years.
In the 2025 Wimbledon Championships held in the United Kingdom, Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and recent French Open champion, was surprisingly eliminated in the first round. Gauff faced Dayana Yastremska, an unseeded player ranked 42nd in the world, who defeated her in straight sets with a score of 7-6(3), 6-1. This loss marked Gauff as only the third woman in the Open era to lose in the first round at Wimbledon immediately following her triumph at Roland Garros, illustrating the challenges athletes face in transitioning from clay to grass courts. Gauff's performance was disappointing, characterized by a total of 29 unforced errors and nine double faults, a significant contrast to her previous successes. Despite her strong forehand, Gauff struggled with her service game, managing only 45% of her first serves in play. This defeat subjected Gauff to scrutiny as she has now exited Wimbledon in the first round in two of the last three years. It emphasized the difficulty of maintaining momentum after a major championship win, as she noted feeling mentally overwhelmed with the rapid transition from the French Open to Wimbledon. Yastremska, on the other hand, delivered an impressive performance, showcasing 16 winners compared to only six from Gauff. The Ukrainian player, who had previously lost all three matchups against Gauff, credited her success in this match to her preparation and confidence gained from her recent appearances on grass, including a final at a smaller event in Nottingham. She expressed her enjoyment of playing on grass courts and her aspirations for continued success in the tournament. This shocking upset was part of a broader trend on the day, as two of the top three women’s seeds also faced early exits. The third seed, Jessica Pegula, was knocked out in her first-round match, marking a historic moment in women's tennis, where two top-three seeds lost in the first round of a major event. Gauff's loss served as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports and the pressures faced by top athletes as they navigate their careers.