Coco Gauff’s Wimbledon Upset: What Went Wrong?

WIMBLEDON, England — Coco Gauff faced a surprising first-round exit at Wimbledon on Tuesday, marking her earliest departure from a Grand Slam since her debut loss at Wimbledon two years prior. The recent French Open champion struggled throughout the match against Ukraine`s Dayana Yastremska, ranked world No. 42, losing 7-6 (3), 6-1. Gauff notably hit nine double faults and appeared to lack rhythm.

Here are the factors contributing to her unexpected defeat:

Serve Issues Plagued Gauff

Gauff`s serve has often been a point of vulnerability, though she usually finds ways to manage difficulties. However, on Tuesday, despite the lack of wind interference with the roof closed, she couldn`t find her rhythm. Her second serve was particularly problematic, becoming a significant burden. With Yastremska playing close to the baseline, the pressure intensified.

Gauff hit a total of nine double faults and won only 44% of points on her second serve. Winning only 45% of her first serves left her exposed, and Yastremska capitalized effectively.

Mental Fatigue Post-French Open

Winning the French Open last month evidently took a considerable toll on Gauff. She had to exert immense effort to navigate the draw in Paris, with the final against Aryna Sabalenka being particularly demanding due to windy conditions.

Ideally, recovering after a Grand Slam victory would involve a break, but Gauff had little time for mental recuperation. She lost her only warm-up match in Berlin against an opponent hitting flat and hard, finding herself wanting. Her limited count of only six winners in that match speaks volumes. The usual fighting spirit seemed absent.

“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,” Gauff said after Tuesday`s match. “But it`s the first time in this experience of coming off a win and having to play Wimbledon. I definitely learned a lot of what I would and would not do again.”

Tough First-Round Opponent

Ranked No. 42, Yastremska presented a challenging first-round draw, not far from being seeded herself. The Ukrainian had shown good form recently, reaching the final in Nottingham and the quarterfinals in Eastbourne. While her previous best Wimbledon performance was a fourth-round appearance in 2019, she is a proven quality player, having reached the Australian Open semifinals a couple of years ago.

“I think it was a great match today, I was really on fire,” Yastremska said. “I hope the road will continue, and it is a pleasure to be here.”

Gauff agreed with the assessment of her opponent`s play. “She played great. I saw the draw and knew it would be a tough match for me. I played her on clay [in April], and I think that surface suits me a little better. It was still a tough three-setter [then]. Yeah, I knew today would be tough.”