American Coco Gauff Stunned in First Round at Wimbledon

In a staggering turn of events at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, No. 2 seed Coco Gauff suffered a surprising defeat on Tuesday, falling to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in a commanding 7-6(3), 6-1 performance.

Ranked No. 42 globally, Yastremska dominated the first-set tiebreak with poise and appeared entirely at ease against Gauff, who typically overwhelms opponents in the tournament’s opening stages. The two-time Grand Slam champion seemed uncharacteristically reserved, her powerful forehand and serve faltering on Court No. 1. Gauff committed nine double faults during the match, while Yastremska delivered 16 winners compared to the American’s mere six.

As the match point unfolded, Yastremska’s penetrating forehand pushed Gauff into an errant shot, prompting the 25-year-old Ukrainian to unleash a triumphant roar. The players shared a warm embrace at the net, with Gauff swiftly collecting her gear and offering a wave to the spectators before exiting the court. Yastremska, meanwhile, reveled in the monumental victory—the most significant of her career.

Gauff’s defeat, coupled with Jessica Pegula’s loss, marked a historic moment in the Open Era, as it was the first time two of the top three women’s seeds were eliminated in a major’s opening round. Gauff, who has yet to progress beyond Wimbledon’s fourth round, grew visibly emotional during her post-match press conference.

“I don’t really like losing,” the 21-year-old said with tears in her eyes. “I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today. I felt like I could have been a little bit better.”

Celebrating her triumph, Yastremska, a 2024 Australian Open semifinalist, highlighted her fiery performance at the All England Club. “I was really on fire. I even have fire on my nails,” she said while holding up her fingers for the crowd and cameras to see.

Yastremska expressed gratitude for the opportunity to face Gauff and the support she received. “These courts are made for the greatest players, so I’m very grateful to be on this court,” she said while the crowd clapped. “I’m actually enjoying really a lot being on the court and I love playing on grass. I feel that this year we are kind of friends,” she said with a smile.

“I hope that the road will continue for me here.”

Gauff, who has now exited in Wimbledon’s first round twice in the past three years, reflected on the challenges of managing her schedule after her French Open victory just weeks prior. “I felt like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards,” she said after the upset loss.

“So, I didn’t feel like I had that enough time to do, I guess, celebrate and then also get back into it. But it’s the first time of this experience of coming off a win and having to play Wimbledon and I definitely learned a lot of what I would and would not do again.”

Gauff also praised Yastremska’s stellar play. “She played great. I mean, I saw the draw and knew it would be a tough match for me,” she said.