Luck only knocks once every few years, as recently crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff suffered a first-round defeat at Wimbledon against Dayana Yastremska, 7–6 (7–3), 6–1.
The first set was tightly contested, with Yastremska taking an early lead before Gauff fought back to force a tiebreak, which the 25 year old dominated.
In the second set, Gauff’s game fell apart. She made nine double faults and only hit six. Ranked No. 42 in the world and Ukraine tennis star stayed aggressive and confident, easily winning the match.This was Yastremska’s first win over Gauff in four attempts and marked a major upset, especially coming just weeks after Gauff’s French Open victory.
Speaking to the media after the match, the 21-year-old Gauff explained that her recent French Open victory might have affected her mental state, saying a lot had been happening and the pressure of expectations was challenging to manage. Her struggles were also compounded by the difficult transition from clay to grass and an uncharacteristically inconsistent serve.
“I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came after [the French Open],” a tearful Gauff said in her post-match press conference.
“I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.”
“I definitely was struggling in the locker room. I don’t like losing. I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today.”
This is Gauff’s third time exiting in the first round of a Grand Slam since 2023. The other two early losses came at Wimbledon 2023 and the US Open 2024.
Gauff is expected to return to action during the North American hard-court season, with her next likely tournament being the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., which begins in July.
After that, she is expected to play in the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open in August, as part of her preparation for the US Open.
