American Hopeful Pegula Falls in Wimbledon Opener to Italy’s Cocciaretto
Wimbledon suffered a significant upset on Monday as American third seed Jessica Pegula became the highest seed to crash out in the first round. Pegula, who has been enjoying a stellar season, was surprisingly defeated by unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
“This is definitely probably the worst result I’ve had all year.” – Jessica Pegula
Upset Queen Cocciaretto Prevails
Ranked 116th in the world, Cocciaretto played fearlessly, taking advantage of Pegula’s off day. The 24-year-old Italian had faced Pegula at Wimbledon before, falling 6-4, 6-0 in 2023. But today, she returned to the scene of that defeat and secured her second career win over a top-10 player.
Pegula’s Return Game Falters
With heavy strapping on her right knee, Pegula seemed not troubled physically. Yet, she was far from her best, making 24 unforced errors and struggling on serve, hitting five winners, while failing to conjure a single break point throughout the match.
- Pegula was broken in the third game of the opening set.
- She lost her serve in the seventh game of the second set.
- Cocciaretto wrapped up the first set in just 25 minutes.
- The second set followed a similar pattern, with Pegula unable to hold her serve to stay in the match.
Pegula’s Grand Slam Struggles
Despite lingering around the world’s top 10, Pegula continues to fall short at Grand Slams. This is her worst performance since the 2020 French Open. She has gone out before the last eight in all three Grand Slam tournaments since reaching the US Open final in 2022.
Disappointed Pegula Reflects on Loss
“I used to kind of have trouble getting past the first round for a while… It’s disappointing. I’m upset that I wasn’t able to turn anything around.” – Jessica Pegula
Cocciaretto, who had faced Pegula at SW19 before, took full advantage of her opponent’s rare off day, wraping up the victory in just 58 minutes.
Did You Know?
Pegula came into Wimbledon fresh from winning the title at Bad Homburg in Germany last week.
Prior to this match, Cocciaretto had only won one match in her five previous appearances at SW19.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto is the first Italian woman to reach the second round at Wimbledon since Camila Giorgi in 2018.
Pro Tips
When facing a higher-ranked opponent, Cocciaretto has shown that staying aggressive and taking advantage of their off days can lead to surprise upsets.
Join the conversation: Comment below or share your thoughts on social media. Who do you think will be the next big surprise at Wimbledon?