A tearful Coco Gauff, fresh off her French Open triumph, was surprisingly ousted in the first round of Wimbledon, blaming the swift transition from clay to grass court.
The 21-year-old American, seeded second, fell 7-6(3), 6-1 to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
Gauff admitted she hadn’t coped well with the quick turnaround from Paris, struggling with her rhythm and footing on the grass.
“I just feel like the surface I maybe could have used more matches,” she stated, hinting at future changes to her pre-Wimbledon preparation.
Beyond the technical hurdles, Gauff also cited mental exhaustion from her Roland Garros victory.
“Mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed… I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it,” she confessed.
Despite the setback, Gauff remains determined to succeed at Wimbledon, acknowledging the need for adjustments.
She credited Yastremska’s strong performance, noting the Ukrainian’s effective grass-court preparation.
Gauff’s early exit, following fellow American Jessica Pegula’s, highlights the tournament’s history of first-round upsets.
