Coco Gauff is out in the first round of Wimbledon with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 loss to Dayana Yastremska
The No. 2-ranked Gauff made mistake after mistake at No. 1 Court, finishing with just six winners and a total of 29 unforced errors that included nine double-faults. She joined another highly seeded American, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, in bowing out on Day 2 of the tournament.
'I was really on fire,' said Yastremska, who accumulated 16 winners. 'Playing against Coco, it is something special.'
It was just a little more than three weeks ago that Gauff was celebrating her second Grand Slam title by getting past No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final on the red clay of Roland-Garros. The 21-year-old American also took home the trophy from the 2023 U.S. Open.
But even though Gauff's big breakthrough came at the All England Club at age 15 in 2019, when she beat Venus Williams in her opening match and made it all the way to the fourth round, the grass-court tournament has proved to be her least-successful major.
It's the only Slam where Gauff hasn't made at least the semifinals.
Indeed, she has yet to get past the fourth round and now has been sent home in the first round twice in the past three years.
The transition from clay to grass has proven tough for most players, and the last woman to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season was Serena Williams a decade ago.
Still, since the Open era began in 1968, only Justine Henin in 2005 and Francesca Schiavone in 2010 went from holding the trophy in Paris to exiting immediately in London.
Gauff was never quite at her best Tuesday against Yastremska, who had lost all three of their previous matchups and currently is ranked 42nd. Yastremska's best Grand Slam result was making it all the way to the semifinals on the Australian Open's hard courts last year, although she entered this event with a record of only 10-11 in first-round matches at majors.
Gauff, by contrast, was 20-3 at that stage, including a loss to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon in 2023.
Yastremska's deepest run at Wimbledon was making the fourth round in 2019, although she did get to the final of the junior event in 2016.
She recently reached her first tournament final on grass, at a smaller event in Nottingham, which she said gave her confidence heading to the All England Club.
'I love playing on grass. I feel that this year we are kind of friends,' Yastremska said with a laugh. 'I hope the road will continue for me here.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Wimbledon predictions: Tiafoe vs. Norrie odds, picks, best bets
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Frances Tiafoe left no doubts in Round 1 against up-and-comer Elmer Moller. The American needed just one hour and 47 minutes to dispatch the Dane, setting up an intriguing second-round matchup against Cam Norrie. Norrie's game has trended in the wrong direction over the last two seasons, but he looked to regain his form at the French Open last month. Norrie took care of business against Roberto Bautista-Agut in Round 1, winning in four sets as a slight favorite, but now he will need to raise his level to get past Tiafoe. Wimbledon: Norrie vs. Tiafoe pick You can set your watch to Tiafoe. The Maryland native consistently underwhelms during the weeks leading up to Grand Slams, but he always seems to find his game just as the lights come on at the majors. Tiafoe is a two-time semifinalist at the US Open, and he's made three other trips to the quarterfinals at Grand Slams. The 27-year-old hasn't had a crowning moment at Wimbledon yet, but his all-court game should translate well onto the grass, and there is no question about his motor. That last point is key against Norrie, who may not have an elite weapon to rely on, but his tireless work ethic and all-world endurance make him a tricky opponent in best-of-5 tennis. Against aggressive opponents, Norrie can be patient and try to drag his opponents to the deep end of the pool, but that may not be the case against Tiafoe, who has proven to be a relentless opponent in his own right. Cam Norrie defeated Roberto Bautista-Agut in Round 1 at Wimbledon. Getty Images This is a fun stylistic matchup. Norrie is a terrific counter-puncher, and he will have the crowd behind him as a Brit, but his weaponry is not up to Tiafoe's standards. Tiafoe should be able to get this over the line without too much fuss. The play: Tiafoe -1.5 sets (+118, FanDuel) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wimbledon 2025: World No2 Coco Gauff sets sights on US Open after suffering shock first-round loss
Down and out: Coco Gauff is ready to move on from fresh disappointment in SW19 (AFP via Getty Images) Coco Gauff vowed to make changes in a bid to find the formula to Wimbledon success. The second seed was the latest big name to fall in a dramatic first round at SW19, with fellow American Jessica Pegula and Qinwen Zheng sent packing earlier on Tuesday. Advertisement Across the men's and women's singles draws, eight top-ten seeds fell at the first hurdle, the most of any Grand Slam in the Open Era. Gauff reached the Wimbledon fourth round as a 15-year-old but has not bettered that since and her struggles continued here. Dayana Yastremska took full advantage to secure a 7-6 6-1 win on No1 Court, with Gauff admitting she had struggled to adapt to the surface. Gauff won the French Open last month but her grass-court preparations consisted of an opening defeat in Berlin. 'I think it's just changing my playing style a little bit, which is difficult, because for me it's like I approach clay and I play this one way for however long clay season is, six to eight weeks, or I don't know,' she said. Advertisement 'Then I feel like when I go on hard, I don't have to change as much, but I still have to adjust it a little bit. I know on grass I do. I feel like by the time I find it, it's already time to play. It's difficult, but I don't know. 'I have faith that if I can make these adjustments, I can do well here. I really do want to do well here. I'm not someone who wants to write myself off grass this early in my career, but I definitely need to make changes if I want to be successful here.' There were cheers on No1 Court following Jack Draper's win, as it was announced that Gauff and Yastremska would be moved from their scheduled slot on Centre Court. But those same fans could not rally Gauff into a comeback as the second set slipped away in double quick time. Advertisement The 21-year-old managed only six winners compared to 29 unforced errors, and struggled with her serve throughout as the double fault tally reached nine. Gauff will now turn her attention to the hard-court swing on home soil, culminating in a bid for a second US Open title at Flushing Meadows later this summer. 'I don't really like losing,' she said. 'I don't know, I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today. I feel like I could have been a little bit better in those tough tie-breaker moments, especially after Roland Garros, where I felt like I learned a lot in those tie-breakers. 'Yeah, I mean, obviously I'm not going to dwell on this too long because I want to do well at US Open. Maybe losing here first round isn't the worst thing in the world because I have time to reset.' Gauff began to tear up, as she added: 'Yeah, definitely sucks.'
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Springer soaks up Canada Day vibes at the plate with 2 home runs, 7 RBIs
TORONTO - American George Springer continued to feel good vibrations playing for the Toronto Blue Jays on Canada Day. The 35-year-old outfielder drove in a career-high seven runs with a solo homer to left field in the fourth, a grand slam to left centre in the seventh, and a two-run single up the middle in the eighth to lift the Blue Jays to a 12-5 win against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Canada's only Major League Baseball club put on quite the pre-game show to celebrate this country's 158th birthday, and the ceremony touched many of the Blue Jays, including Springer. Manager John Schneider caught the ceremonial pitch. The entire team joined Canadian armed servicemen and women, holding a gigantic Canadian flag that covered the outfield at Rogers Centre. Finally, as the anthem was finishing fighter jets hummed over the stadium. 'We got to go hang on to the flag, and I thought that was cool,' Springer said. 'This obviously is a very special day, and for us to win was big for us. 'I know we probably haven't won (a lot) on these days here. But the Jets were cool with the anthem. The whole environment was awesome.' The Blue Jays improved to 13-12 on Canada Day at home, but sport a woeful 17-29 record overall on July 1. Springer, however, has enjoyed good times on Canada Day as well as a renaissance this season. 'I think the biggest thing for me is I have learned how to handle the failure,' said Springer, who has gone 9 for 19 (. 474) with three homers, 10 RBI and five runs scored in five Canada Day games for the Blue Jays. 'You're going to have ups and downs. It's not always about getting a hit, it's the process, right? Ultimately, you know, it'll start to show. You just have to hang in there.' By snatching the first two of the four-game series, the Blue Jays have pushed to within a game of the American League East Division-leading Yankees. Toronto has gone 21-10 since May 27, and Springer has played a significant role in the turnaround. 'When he's playing well usually our whole team plays well,' Toronto veteran starter Kevin Gausman said. 'He's a guy who can take over a game and when he's locked in he can take over a series.' Springer hit his 100th homer as a Blue Jay and his ninth career grand slam before 41,129 at Rogers Centre. He has been secretive as to what adjustments he's made at the plate this season. But part of Springer's comeback can be attached to Schneider employing him more as a designated hitter to save him physically. Springer likes to call the DH role an OP, for offensive player, because of his baserunning ability. 'George is a big-time player when he's at his best,' Schneider said. 'He likes moments like that. … It's easy for him to slow the moment down. 'I remember in spring training saying, 'Hey George, I don't want you to hit 40 homers. I want you to be productive throughout this lineup.' He's really grasped onto that. And when a guy like him does it, it trickles down to everyone else.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
