The 2025 Wimbledon Championships delivered a jaw-dropping upset on Tuesday, July 1, as world No. 2 and French Open champion Coco Gauff was ousted in the first round by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, ranked No. 42, in a swift 7-6(3), 6-1 defeat on Court No. 1. The 21-year-old American, fresh off her second Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros less than a month ago, struggled with an error-riddled performance, marking her earliest Grand Slam exit since Wimbledon 2023. Yastremska’s commanding display, coupled with Gauff’s uncharacteristic mistakes, sent shockwaves through the All England Club, capping a chaotic day that saw multiple top seeds fall.
Gauff, who burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2019 by defeating Venus Williams at age 15, has yet to crack the code on grass, with the fourth round remaining her best result at SW19. Her match against Yastremska exposed her vulnerabilities, particularly her serve, which faltered with nine double faults, including two in the critical first-set tiebreak. The American managed only six winners against a staggering 29 unforced errors, a stark contrast to her usual defensive prowess and powerful forehand. “I don’t really like losing,” a tearful Gauff said in her post-match press conference, her eyes betraying her disappointment. “I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today. I felt like I could have been a little bit better.”
Yastremska, by contrast, was electric, slamming 16 winners and capitalizing on Gauff’s shaky serve. The 25-year-old Ukrainian, who reached the 2024 Australian Open semifinals and the Nottingham final on grass, played with fearless aggression, skidding forehands and backhands across the slick surface under the closed roof. “I was really on fire. I even have fire on my nails,” Yastremska quipped, holding up her fingers for the crowd, who roared in approval. “These courts are made for the greatest players, so I’m very grateful to be on this court. I’m actually enjoying really a lot being on the court and I love playing on grass.” Her confidence was palpable, especially after losing all three prior encounters with Gauff, including a three-setter on clay in Madrid earlier in 2025.
The match’s turning point came in the first-set tiebreak, where Gauff’s double faults handed Yastremska the edge. The Ukrainian broke early in the second set, consolidating a 2-0 lead as Gauff’s errors mounted, including a backhand slice into the net. On match point, Yastremska’s deep forehand forced another unforced error, prompting a primal scream of victory as she sealed the biggest win of her career. The pair embraced at the net, with Gauff offering a quick wave to the crowd before exiting, her Wimbledon hopes dashed in just 78 minutes.
Gauff’s defeat marked a historic moment, as she and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who fell 6-2, 6-3 to world No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, became the first top-three women’s seeds to exit in the first round of a major in the Open Era. “This is definitely probably the worst result I’ve had all year,” Pegula lamented, echoing Gauff’s frustration. The men’s draw was equally turbulent, with No. 3 Alexander Zverev, No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti, and No. 8 Holger Rune among the 13 seeded men ousted. Gauff attributed her struggles to the whirlwind following her French Open win. “I felt like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards,” she said. “So, I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.”
Reflecting on her grass-court woes, Gauff acknowledged the challenge of transitioning from clay, where her lung-busting defense thrives, to the fast, low-bouncing grass. “I just feel like the surface, I maybe could have used more matches,” she said, questioning her preparation after a first-round loss in Berlin and limited grass-court tune-ups. “It’s like finding the puzzle. If you go deep in Roland Garros, you’re debating: ‘Do I rush and play that week, or do I take time and play the week before?’” Despite the setback, Gauff remained optimistic, vowing to adapt. “I have faith that if I can make these adjustments, I can do well here. I really do want to do well here,” she said, refusing to write off grass early in her career.
Yastremska, now advancing to face Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova, celebrated her affinity for grass. “I feel that this year we are kind of friends,” she said with a smile, her confidence buoyed by recent grass-court success. For Gauff, the loss stings, but her resilience—evident in her 2023 US Open rebound after a similar Wimbledon exit—suggests she’ll return stronger. As Wimbledon 2025 unfolds with top seeds like Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka advancing, Yastremska’s upset serves as a reminder of the grass courts’ unpredictability, setting the stage for a wide-open tournament.
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