Wimbledon 2025 Upsets: Record-Breaking Exits for Top Seeds

Wimbledon 2025 has delivered one of the most dramatic starts in tennis history, with Wimbledon 2025 upsets dominating headlines as top seeds crashed out in the opening round. The tournament has already set a new benchmark for early exits, leaving fans and analysts stunned by the sheer scale of the shakeup.

Coco Gauff’s Stunning First-Round Exit

The most shocking moment came when No. 2 seed and reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff was ousted in the first round by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. Gauff, who had recently celebrated her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, struggled to find her rhythm on the grass courts of Wimbledon. She fell 7-6(3), 6-1 in just 1 hour and 19 minutes, marking her second first-round exit at Wimbledon in three years.

Key stats from Gauff’s loss:

• 9 double faults and 29 unforced errors
• Only 6 winners compared to Yastremska’s 16
• Gauff became just the third woman in the Open Era to lose in the Wimbledon first round after winning the French Open.

Yastremska, ranked 42nd in the world, played aggressive, inspired tennis and notched her second career win over a Top 2 player. “I was actually on fire,” Yastremska said after the match, relishing her biggest career victory.

A Historic Wave of Upsets

Gauff’s defeat was not an isolated incident. The Wimbledon 2025 upsets extended across both the men’s and women’s draws, with a record number of seeded players eliminated in the first round.

Women’s Draw

• Coco Gauff (No. 2) and Jessica Pegula (No. 3) both crashed out, marking the first time in the Open Era that two of the top three women’s seeds lost in the first round of a major.
• Other top-10 seeds eliminated included Qinwen Zheng and Paula Badosa.
• In total, nine women’s seeds were sent home before the first round concluded

Men’s Draw

• Alexander Zverev (No. 3) lost to Arthur Rinderknech in five sets, the highest men’s seed to fall.
• Other top-10 seeds out in round one: Lorenzo Musetti (No. 7), Holger Rune (No. 8), and Daniil Medvedev (No. 9).
• 13 men’s seeds exited in the first round, breaking the previous Wimbledon record since the introduction of 32 seeds in 2001.

Record-Breaking Numbers

• Eight top-10 seeds (across both draws) eliminated in the first round—a new Open Era Grand Slam record.
• 23 total seeds (13 men, 10 women) gone before the first round finished, tying the most ever at a Grand Slam since the 32-seed format began.

Why So Many Upsets?

Several factors contributed to the Wimbledon 2025 upsets:

• Surface Transition: Players like Gauff struggled to adjust from clay to grass, with Gauff admitting she felt overwhelmed and not fully prepared after her French Open triumph.
• High Pressure: The weight of expectations on top seeds, especially after recent successes, may have contributed to tightness and unforced errors.
• Inspired Underdogs: Lower-ranked players like Yastremska played with aggression and confidence, seizing their moment on the big stage.

What’s Next for the Tournament?

With so many favorites gone, Wimbledon 2025 is wide open. Fans can expect more surprises as new contenders seize the opportunity to make deep runs. For stars like Gauff, the early exit offers time to regroup ahead of the US Open, while for the sport, this tournament will be remembered as a turning point in Grand Slam unpredictability.

Wimbledon 2025 upsets have rewritten the record books, proving once again that in tennis, anything can happen—especially on the grass courts of SW19.