In a surprising turn of events, No. 2 seed Coco Gauff was defeated by fellow American Emma Navarro in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Navarro, the No. 19 seed, took the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, sending shockwaves through the tournament on Sunday, told Daily Mail.
Gauff, at 20 years old, struggled visibly throughout the match. Navarro’s powerful forehand consistently put Gauff on the defensive, causing the young star to appear frustrated and flustered. In a moment captured by cameras, Gauff looked towards her player box and was seen saying to her coach Brad Gilbert, “Tell me something,” highlighting her desperation for answers that never came.
Despite Gauff’s efforts, she couldn’t find a solution to Navarro’s relentless play. Navarro, on the other hand, maintained her composure and gained confidence as the match progressed. The pressure of being a top seed and the opportunity to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinals seemed to weigh heavily on Gauff, who was unable to turn the tide.
Navarro’s victory marked her first win over a top-five opponent, a significant milestone in her career. She will advance to face No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday. Reflecting on the match, Navarro shared with ABC’s Mary Joe Fernandez, “Definitely saw her a little bit, getting frustrated and looking at her box. In tough times, you’ll use anything to give you a bit of momentum. Maybe seeing that helped me a little bit and gave me some confidence.”
At 23, Navarro is participating in her second Wimbledon tournament, having built an impressive resume during her college career at Virginia. She won the NCAA women’s singles championship as a freshman in 2021, demonstrating her potential early on.
Gauff’s defeat is particularly surprising given her recent successes. She won last year’s U.S. Open and reached the semifinals at this year’s French Open. Wimbledon, however, remains the only Grand Slam event where she has yet to advance to the final eight. Her journey to the semifinals at the All England Club seemed a natural progression after overcoming Caroline Dolehide, Anca Todini, and Sonay Kartal with relative ease. Notably, Gauff had also defeated Navarro earlier this year at the ASB Classic in January.
The upset followed another major surprise in the tournament, as No. 1 seed Iga Świątek lost her third-round match to Yulia Putintseva on Saturday. Świątek’s early exit appeared to clear a potential path for Gauff towards the Wimbledon title, but Gauff was unable to seize the opportunity.
Now, Elena Rybakina stands as the only top-five women’s seed remaining in the tournament. She is set to play No. 17 seed Anna Kalinskaya on Monday, adding further intrigue to this year’s unpredictable Wimbledon.
Gauff’s unexpected loss to Navarro serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of tennis, where even top seeds can find themselves vulnerable to rising stars. As the tournament continues, all eyes will be on the remaining competitors, each vying for the prestigious Wimbledon title.