In a surprising turn of events at Wimbledon 2023, Coco Gauff, the No. 2-ranked player, became only the third woman in the Open era to lose in the first round of Wimbledon immediately following her victory at the French Open. Gauff was eliminated by unseeded Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine, with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-1, on Tuesday night. This shocking defeat marks a significant moment in Gauff's career, as she struggled to find her rhythm on the prestigious No. 1 Court.
Throughout the match, Gauff appeared to be out of sorts, finishing with just six winners and an alarming total of 29 unforced errors, which included nine double-faults. “Dayana started off playing strong,” Gauff reflected after the match. “I couldn't find my footing out there today.” This early exit from the tournament also saw another highly-seeded American, Jessica Pegula (ranked No. 3), bow out on the same day, marking the first women’s major in the Open Era where two of the top three seeds lost their opening matches, according to ESPN Research.
Just over three weeks prior, Gauff was celebrating her second Grand Slam title after defeating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Roland-Garros. Gauff acknowledged that the quick turnaround may have contributed to her performance at Wimbledon, stating, “I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards, so I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.” Despite the change in match location from Centre Court to Court No. 1 and a late notice regarding the start time, Gauff did not believe these factors affected her performance.
Historically, Wimbledon has proven to be Gauff's least successful Grand Slam tournament. Since her remarkable breakthrough at the All England Club at age 15, where she famously defeated Venus Williams, Gauff has struggled to replicate that success on grass. In fact, she has yet to advance past the fourth round at Wimbledon and has now faced first-round exits twice in the past three years. The transition from clay to grass has been challenging for many players, and the last woman to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season was Serena Williams, a decade ago.
During her match against Yastremska, who had lost all three of their previous encounters and entered the tournament ranked 42nd, Gauff was unable to showcase her best game. Her serving was particularly problematic; she managed to land only 45% of her first serves and won just 14 out of 32 second-serve points. “When I can serve well, it’s definitely an added threat,” Gauff admitted. “I didn’t serve that well.”
In contrast, Yastremska demonstrated impressive form, accumulating 16 winners during the match. She expressed her excitement about playing against Gauff, stating, “I was really on fire. Playing against Coco is something special.” Yastremska, who recently reached her first tournament final on grass at a smaller event in Nottingham, mentioned that this experience boosted her confidence leading into Wimbledon. “I love playing on grass. I feel that this year we are kind of friends,” Yastremska added with a laugh, expressing hope for her continued success in the tournament.
As Gauff reflects on her early exit from Wimbledon, the tennis world watches closely to see how she will respond in future tournaments and whether she can regain her form heading into the rest of the season.
