Wimbledon 2025: Tearful Coco Gauff Reflects on Shock First-Round Exit to Yastremska
By \[Ahmed Elashry], Wimbledon*Coco SME News UK. Gauff’s Wimbledon 2025 campaign ended in heartbreak on Tuesday as the American second seed suffered a shock first-round defeat at the hands of World No. 42 Dayana Yastremska, falling 7-6(3), 6-1 on Centre Court.Just weeks after celebrating her second Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros, Gauff struggled to find rhythm on the grass, committing nine double faults and surrendering her serve four times in a match that left the 20-year-old visibly emotional.“After the match, I definitely was struggling in the locker room,” a tearful Gauff admitted during her post-match press conference. “I don’t like losing. I feel disappointed in how I showed up today. I felt like I could have done better in the tiebreak moments — especially after learning so much from them at the French Open.”This marks only the third first-round Grand Slam exit in Gauff’s career and her first since Wimbledon 2023. Despite her early exit, the world No. 2 is choosing to look ahead with optimism.“Obviously, I’m not going to dwell on this too long because I want to do well at the US Open,” she said. “Maybe losing in the first round here isn’t the worst thing in the world. It gives me time to reset.”Gauff was not alone in her early departure. Fellow third seeds Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev also bowed out in the opening round on a day filled with upsets at the All England Club.“I feel like historically, Wimbledon always has so many upsets in the first round,” Gauff said. “You come off a long clay-court season and have to quickly adjust to grass. It seems like Carlos \[Alcaraz] and Novak \[Djokovic] are the only ones who’ve figured it out. The turnaround is so quick — that’s why this Slam feels the most prone to surprises.”As the grass-court Grand Slam continues to deliver drama, Gauff’s early exit is a reminder of the unpredictability of Wimbledon — and of how even the brightest stars can be caught off guard on sport’s most iconic stage.
