Coco Gauff, the second seed in the women’s singles, was eliminated on Sunday after losing in the fourth round to 19th seed Emma Navarro on Centre Court. She lost in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
The 20-year-old Gauff appeared frustrated and upset frequently throughout the match as Navarro repeatedly put her on the defensive with forehands. Gauff looked toward her box at least twice during the second set, seeking answers from coach Brad Gilbert. She was seen telling him, “Tell me something.”
Unfortunately for Gauff, there was no solution.
Emma Navarro wins the US Trophy on Centre Court 🫨
The 19th seed defeated the 2nd seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/GlLznb6ywC
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2024
Navarro maintained her composure and visibly grew more confident as the match progressed, while Gauff looked nervous, feeling the pressure as the top seed fighting for her first Wimbledon quarter-final appearance.
Instead, Navarro advanced to the fourth round with her first win over a top-five opponent. She will face No. 7 Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday.
“You definitely saw her get a little bit frustrated and look at the box,” Navarro told ABC’s Mary Jo Fernandez after the game. “When you’re in a tough situation, you use anything to get some momentum, and seeing that probably helped her a little bit and gave her some confidence.”
The 23-year-old Navarro will be competing in her second Wimbledon tournament after a stellar collegiate career at the University of Virginia, where she won the 2021 NCAA women’s singles championship as a freshman.
“I’m really happy to be on Centre Court.”
You reached your first Grand Slam quarterfinal against the No. 2 seed on Centre Court. Well done, Emma Navarro 👏 pic.twitter.com/G6ArNnvZxy
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2024
Gauff’s loss seems especially surprising given her good form since winning last year’s U.S. Open and reaching the semifinals at this year’s French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament she has not reached the quarterfinals of.
A run to the semifinals at the All England Club was the next natural step on that path, and after handily defeating Caroline Dohlheide, Anka Todini and Sonaj Kartar, Gauff looked especially formidable.
The upset loss came a day after top-seeded Iga Swiantek lost to Yulia Putintseva in the third round on Saturday. Swiantek’s loss seemed to open the door for Gauff to win Wimbledon, but she couldn’t capitalize.
Elena Rybakina is the only one of the top five women’s seeds remaining in the tournament. She will face 17th-seeded Anna Kalinskaya on Monday.
