American second seed Coco Gauff suffered a surprise defeat at Wimbledon, losing 7-6 (3), 6-1 to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, ranked 42nd in the world, on Tuesday.
Gauff, who won the French Open last month, was expected to go far at the All England Club. However, the 21-year-old made an early exit instead, her earliest at a Grand Slam since her first-round loss at Wimbledon last year.
Yastremska took just 78 minutes to win the match on Court One. Gauff now joins fellow top seeds Jessica Pegula (3rd) and Zheng Qinwen (5th) in exiting the tournament on a dramatic day.
Although Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles, she has never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon in six appearances. In this match, she struggled with form, hitting nine double faults, 29 unforced errors, and managing only six winners.
Yastremska, 25, had previously joked that she was “allergic to grass,” but her recent results suggest otherwise. She reached the final in Nottingham and the quarter-finals in Eastbourne in June, and her win over Gauff continues a strong run on the surface.
Known for her fashion and social media presence, Yastremska said after the match:
“It was a great match today. I was really on fire, even my nails have fire on them!”
She added: “Playing against Coco is something special. These courts are for the best players, and I’m grateful to play here. It was unexpected, but I’m enjoying the grass this year. I feel like we’re becoming friends, I hope my journey continues.”
