Coco Gauff Spared but Jessica Pegula Puts Grand Slam Champion in Misery Over Wimbledon Loss

Wimbledon isn’t just another Slam; it’s a stage soaked in prestige, tradition, and pressure. With little time to adjust to grass, even the best can stumble. That was the story on Centre Court, where Coco Gauff, fresh off her Paris triumph, made a shocking 1st-round exit. But for Andy Roddick, America’s last men’s US Open champion, the bigger jolt came elsewhere. While Gauff’s loss was tough, it was Jessica Pegula’s stunning defeat on Court 2 that truly rattled him. Calling it one of the tournament’s major upsets, Roddick was left stunned as Pegula’s Wimbledon journey came crashing down on Day 1. 

As Novak Djokovic commanded Centre Court, former top seed Andy Roddick took the mic for his “QUICK SERVED: Wimbledon Day 2” segment, offering blistering takes on Dayana Yastremska’s stunning upset over Coco Gauff. While fans reeled from Gauff’s early exit, Roddick’s tone leaned more matter-of-fact than shocked. 

“Coco Gauff loses to Dayana Yastremska. We told you that was going to be a tough one,” he began. “Coco, it’s just game styles, right? Like she’s great at what she does. The most challenging surface is going to be grass, especially against a big hitter like Yastremska. She needed a comfortable matchup in the first couple rounds to kind of get her feet under or get the feel for grass.”

Jessica Pegula at Wimbledon in 2018 after losing her second-round match to Alison Van Uytvanck

He empathized with Gauff’s disappointment, but added a deeper layer of perspective. “But you know what I’ll tell you, I know she’s gonna say this is like the worst thing ever and this is like super upsetting and it probably—she probably feels that way. You tell her a month ago, you know what? You win Roland Garros. I don’t know what happens for the rest of the year. You might lose first round of every tournament. Guess what she does? She’s cool with it. She signs that contract. So, there’s no criticism for Coco Gauff right now.”

However, when the topic shifted to Jessica Pegula, Roddick’s tone shifted from understanding to disbelief. Of all the results to unfold at SW19 so far, this was the one that truly stunned him. “The Pegula one is the most shocking result of the first two days for me,” he said. “Because her game is made for grass. Like she’s a ball striker, moves around, low center of gravity, shot tolerance is great. That one’s shocking to me.”

(The story is emerging…)

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