Tuesday’s first-round action at the All England Club turned the tournament on its head, with a string of surprising results that saw some of the biggest names in the game make early exits.
The tournament has seen it’s share of shocking results over the years — but rarely have this many happened so fast. It felt like half the draw unraveled before we even hit the third day.
The most eye-opening result came when No. 2 seed Coco Gauff, just weeks removed from winning Roland Garros, fell in straight sets to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Gauff looked tight after a close first set, and Yastremska took full advantage, staying aggressive and never letting her off the hook.
That wasn’t the only surprise on the women’s side. No. 3 Jessica Pegula was knocked out by Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, while No. 5 Zheng Qinwen lost to qualifier Lulu Sun. Three of the top five seeds gone in one afternoon — that’s not something you see often at a major, and it leaves the women’s bracket wide open.
Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
The men’s draw didn’t hold back either.
No. 3 Alexander Zverev went the distance but came up short against Arthur Rinderknech. No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti couldn’t find answers against Nikoloz Basilashvili. No. 8 Holger Rune let a two-set lead slip away in a loss to Nicolás Jarry. And No. 9 Daniil Medvedev was outplayed by Benjamin Bonzi in four sets.
It’s the first time since 1998 that four top-10 men’s seeds have fallen in the opening round at Wimbledon.
What’s behind the chaos? A few things stand out. The grass is quick, confidence is everything, and players outside the top tier are more dangerous than ever. Those ranked outside the spotlight are stepping up with nothing to lose—and in a setting like Wimbledon, that mindset can flip a match fast.
On Tuesday, the underdogs took control early, swung freely, and didn’t let the favorites settle in. That boldness paid off.
With several contenders already out, the path forward has changed dramatically—and for fans, that means we could be in for a thrilling, unpredictable two weeks at SW19.