French Open champ Gauff suffers shock first-round Wimbledon defeat to unseeded Dayana Yastremska

Coco Gauff’s dream of a Wimbledon crown unravelled on Centre Court as the second seed crashed out in the first round in a stunning defeat to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. The 7-6 (3), 6-1 result delivered the biggest shock of the tournament so far, leaving the French Open champion in tears and without answers.

“Yeah, this definitely sucks,” Gauff admitted, her voice shaking in the post-match press conference. “I just feel disappointed in how I showed up today.”

The 20-year-old American arrived in London chasing the elusive “Channel Slam” — winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Instead, she found herself overpowered by an opponent who claimed she entered the match with no expectations.

Yastremska, 24, played with fearless intensity, using her booming forehand to keep Gauff pinned back throughout the contest. Though Gauff briefly led and broke back late in the first set, a collapse in the tie-break — including two costly double faults — set the tone for a one-sided second set.

The Ukrainian, ranked outside the top 25, said after the match: “I didn’t even have a small expectation of winning. But I just kept leading the points, and it started to feel real.”

Gauff’s defeat mirrored a broader shake-up in the women’s draw. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula also exited early, falling 6-2, 6-3 to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in under an hour. Pegula praised her opponent’s “incredible tennis” but admitted she was stunned: “I definitely don’t think I was playing bad… but losing in the first round of a Slam sucks.”

On Centre Court, Gauff’s frustration grew as she failed to adjust to Yastremska’s relentless aggression. The Americans’ serve — usually a weapon — faltered under pressure. During the tie-break, she served a double fault even after a let, a moment that visibly deflated her.

From there, Yastremska surged. She broke Gauff twice in the second set with unreturnable drives, silencing the supportive crowd who once saw Gauff reach the fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019. Chants of “Don’t worry, Coco!” from the stands sounded more like mourning than encouragement as Yastremska closed out the win in just over 90 minutes.

The Ukrainian, who has battled inconsistency and a reputation for underperformance on grass, seemed reborn. “Maybe my allergy to grass gave me the push today,” she joked in her press conference.

For Gauff, the loss raises familiar questions about her ability to adapt her game on different surfaces. Despite her Slam success in Paris, her Wimbledon campaign never found rhythm. She hinted that more time on grass might have helped but stopped short of blaming her preparation.

Also departing the All England Club was two-time champion Petra Kvitova, who bowed out with a 6-3, 6-1 loss to 10th seed Emma Navarro. The 35-year-old Czech, who returned to the tour in February after giving birth to son Petr, confirmed she plans to retire after the US Open.

“I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon — and I did it twice,” Kvitova said to an emotional crowd. “This place will always be part of me.”

For now, Wimbledon’s script is being rewritten. With Gauff gone, the women’s draw opens up dramatically — and Dayana Yastremska is no longer just an underdog.