In a surprising turn of events, Coco Gauff, who has an impressive record of seven singles championship titles and currently holds the world No. 2 ranking, experienced a disappointing defeat at the hands of Emma Navarro during the fourth round of Wimbledon. Navarro’s victory not only secured her place in the Grand Slam quarterfinals for the first time ever but also marked her second win against a player ranked No. 2 or higher. Her previous triumph over a world No. 2 player was against Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells in March.
Yulia Putintseva caused another major upset at the All England Club, defeating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third-round match on Saturday. This marks the second surprising defeat in consecutive days at the tournament.
Navarro d. Coco Gauff 6-4 6-3
Wow.
After 7 major appearances, Emma is into her 1st Grand Slam Quarterfinal.
Biggest win of her life.
Biggest moment of her career.
And I promise you… it’s only going to get bigger.
✅1st Wimbledon QF
✅2nd top 5 win of 2024Too good.
❤️ pic.twitter.com/sEj4mZG4YR
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 7, 2024
During the match, Gauff endured a total of 12 defeats, which exceeded the 10 losses she had encountered in the previous three rounds combined. Numerous observers attributed her defeat in Sunday’s match to her feeble forehand, inconsistent serving, and frequent glances towards her team. Gauff’s unforced errors amounted to 25, whereas Navarro committed only 16. Additionally, Gauff’s success rate on first serves was a mere 56%, while Navarro managed to connect with 74% of hers.
After her unexpected triumph, Navarro took the opportunity to speak to the audience from the center court.
“Just really grateful to be out here on center court at a tournament with so much history and tradition that so many legends have played before me,” Navarro said. “It’s a real honor, so thank you guys for coming out to watch and [I] can’t wait to play again.”
In Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup, Navarro is set to face Jasmine Paolini. Paolini secured her spot in the quarterfinals after Madison Keys withdrew from Wimbledon due to a leg injury, granting her a walkover.
