American tennis star Coco Gauff, the second seed at this year’s Wimbledon, suffered a stunning defeat in the first round of the prestigious tournament, falling 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday.
After claiming her first French Open title in June, Gauff, 21, was widely expected to make a deep run at the All England Club. However, she was unable to build on her Roland Garros success, enduring an early exit from Wimbledon that marked her earliest Grand Slam defeat since her first-round loss at the same venue in 2023.
Yastremska, currently ranked No. 42 in the world, took just 78 minutes to secure her impressive victory on Court One. The loss to Yastremska added Gauff to a list of high-profile departures, with fellow top seeds Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen also exiting the tournament on Tuesday.
Gauff’s performance was marred by a series of errors, as she committed nine double-faults, 29 unforced errors, and only managed six winners throughout the match. Despite being a two-time Grand Slam champion, Gauff’s struggles on the grass courts of Wimbledon have been evident over the years; she has yet to reach the quarter-finals in any of her six visits.
On the other hand, Yastremska’s grass-court game has been steadily improving. The 25-year-old had previously mentioned her allergy to grass but has demonstrated impressive form on the surface this year. She made the final in Nottingham and reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne in June, showing that she is a formidable opponent on grass.
“It was a great match today. I was really on fire, even my nails have fire on them,” said Yastremska with a smile. “Playing Coco is special. These courts are made for the greatest players, so I’m very grateful to play here. It’s really unexpected. I love playing on grass. I feel this year we are kind of friends. I hope the road can continue for me.”
Yastremska’s stunning victory over Gauff adds another chapter to her unexpected resurgence on the grass courts, and the Ukrainian is now hoping to continue her impressive run as the tournament progresses.