Wimbledon’s first big upset came in the women’s category on Monday when seventh-seeded American Coco Gauff lost to compatriot Sofia Kenin.
Kenin won the match, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, to move on in the tournament, while Gauff was stunned by the early exit.
«I’m super happy,» Kenin said, via Tennis.com, after the match. «I knew I needed to play my best to win.»
While Kenin may only be ranked No. 128 in the world to Gauff’s No. 7, she’s no stranger to winning at a major tournament.
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Sofia Kenin, world number 128, pulled off a stunning upset against fellow American Coco Gauff during the first round of the Wimbledon championships on Monday. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Kenin was the 2020 Australian Open singles champion, the most recent American to win the coveted title. He also defeated Gauff in the round of 16 of that same tournament, and was ranked No. 4 in the world.
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Despite a solid run as an up-and-coming tennis star, injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic were factors that saw Kenin slip to as low as No. 416 in the world.
In fact, just to play at Wimbledon this year, she was forced to go through the qualifiers, which is why Gauff had nothing but respect for Kenin when she was interviewed after her loss.
Coco Gauff was knocked out of the singles category at Wimbledon, but still has a chance to win a doubles title alongside Jessica Pegula. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)
«She had nothing to lose today,» Gauff said, according to Tennis.com. «She obviously won a Grand Slam, but she’s at a difficult point in her career. So she knew that she would play with a lot of motivation. It was about how she would play today and how would I take care of my final.» from the field. She did at certain times, but obviously not enough.»
Sofia Kenin now faces 21-year-old Chinese Xinyu Wang in the second round of Wimbledon. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Gauff may have run out of singles, but she’s still in contention for a doubles title alongside Jessica Pegula. They are ranked as the second best doubles team in the tournament.
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As for Kenin, she will prepare for her second round fight with Xinyu Wang, a 21-year-old Chinese woman. His match is scheduled for July 5 at 5 pm ET.