- Wednesday, July 16, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
In one of the biggest shocks of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, world No. 2 and reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff was knocked out in the first round by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
The 21-year-old American, considered a top contender for the title after her Roland Garros triumph, fell 7-6(3), 6-1 on No. 1 Court, marking one of the tournament’s most significant upsets and raising questions about her grass-court readiness and mental preparation.
Gauff’s Struggles: Unforced Errors and Missed Opportunities
Gauff’s performance was marred by uncharacteristic mistakes and a lack of rhythm on the grass. She managed just six winners compared to Yastremska’s 16 but committed a staggering 29 unforced errors, including nine double faults.
Her usually powerful serve and forehand lacked their typical punch, and she appeared tense and restrained, unable to find her footing against the world No. 42. “I couldn’t find my footing out there today,” Gauff admitted after the match.
The American’s struggles were most evident in the first set tiebreak, where her serve deserted her, leading to two double faults and a rapid loss of momentum. After losing the tiebreak 7-3, Gauff’s confidence visibly waned, and Yastremska quickly capitalized, racing through the second set with relentless aggression and composure.
Yastremska’s Composed Performance
For Dayana Yastremska, the victory was the biggest of her career. Playing with remarkable poise and intensity, she dictated play with her forehand and remained unfazed by Gauff’s reputation or the occasion.
“I played junior finals here, it gave me a lot of emotion. It was a great match today, I was really on fire. Playing against Coco, it is something special. She’s a great player, great person, we have a very good relationship, I enjoyed it a lot,” Yastremska said after her win.
Despite entering the match as a clear underdog and with modest grass-court credentials, Yastremska’s aggressive baseline play and ability to maintain low, penetrating shots on grass proved decisive. Her victory was sealed when a deep forehand forced Gauff into an unforced error, prompting a triumphant scream from the Ukrainian and a brief embrace at the net.
Historic Day of Exits for Top Seeds
Gauff’s exit was not the only shock of the day. No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula was also eliminated in straight sets by Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-2, 6-3, marking the first time in the Open Era that both the No. 2 and No. 3 women’s seeds lost in the opening round at Wimbledon.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová also bid farewell, losing to Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-1 in what is expected to be her final appearance at the All England Club.
Gauff Reflects and Vows to Learn
A tearful Gauff struggled to explain her defeat in the post-match press conference. “Yeah, this definitely sucks,” she said, acknowledging her disappointment and hinting at the challenges of transitioning from clay to grass after her French Open win.
“I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards (following the French Open triumph), so I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it. But it’s the first time in this experience… I definitely learned a lot of what I would and would not do again”.
Gauff’s loss makes her only the third woman in the Open Era to lose in the Wimbledon first round after winning the French Open, joining Justine Henin (2005) and Francesca Schiavone (2010). She pledged to make changes to her preparation and approach, determined to come back stronger.
A Tournament Wide Open
With Gauff, Pegula, and Kvitová out, Wimbledon’s women’s draw has been thrown wide open, promising fresh faces and new narratives as the tournament progresses.
For Gauff, the defeat is a setback, but at just 21, she remains one of the sport’s brightest stars—her response to this disappointment will be closely watched in the months ahead
