In a stunning turn of events at Wimbledon on Sunday, Emma Navarro defeated second seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3, ending Gauff’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time at the All England Club.
Gauff, who captured her maiden Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last year, entered the fourth-round match as a strong favorite, having not dropped a set en route to the last 16. She was the only player—man or woman—to reach the semifinals or better at the last three Grand Slams.
However, nothing seemed to work for the world number two on Centre Court. Frustration mounted as Gauff struggled to find answers to Navarro’s aggressive play. At one point, she called out to her coach Brad Gilbert, “Tell me something. You guys aren’t saying anything.”
Despite Gilbert’s attempts to provide guidance, Gauff was unable to turn the match around. After the loss, a dejected Gauff reflected on her performance, saying, “We had a game plan going in. I felt that it wasn’t working. I don’t always ask for advice from the box. Today was one of those rare moments where I felt I didn’t have solutions.”
Navarro, displaying remarkable composure and skill, capitalized on the opportunity to secure one of the biggest wins of her career. The victory propels her into the Wimbledon quarterfinals, marking a significant milestone.
Gauff acknowledged the need to learn from the experience, stating, “I definitely have to learn from today, because it’s not going to be the first or last time that a player plays a great match against me, and I have to figure out, when those moments happen, how to raise my level.”
Reference(s):
Navarro turfs out Gauff from Wimbledon following all-American duel
cgtn.com
