Third seed Jessica Pegula suffers shock Wimbledon exit
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Jessica Pegula during her Wimbledon first-round match against Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy.
PHOTO: EPA
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LONDON – Third seed Jessica Pegula admitted that her shock straight-set defeat by Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Wimbledon first round on July 1 was her “worst result of the year”.
The American was demolished 6-2, 6-3 by the world No. 116 in just 58 minutes on Court Two.
It was a bitter blow for the 2024 US Open finalist, who has never been past the quarter-finals at the All England Club. Fresh off a title in Bad Homburg, she was tipped for a deep run at Wimbledon.
But the 31-year-old, playing with heavy knee strapping, looked uncomfortable throughout her underwhelming display.
She managed just half her first serves, struck only five winners, and racked up 24 unforced errors in a tentative display that lacked her usual fighting spirit.
“She played incredible tennis. Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I wasn’t that bad. It was just her day today,” Pegula said.
“I think I could have served better, but I was having trouble with the conditions. It was very humid and the court was slow.
“I tried my best to match her level and I thought I would close the gap in the second set. But she didn’t drop her level at all. She was forcing a lot of my errors.”
Since losing the 2024 US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 3 has been eliminated before the quarter-finals in all three of her Grand Slam appearances.
“It’s probably the worst result I’ve had all year. I haven’t lost in the first round of a Slam for a long time. That sucks,” added Pegula, who had previously won 17 consecutive first-round matches at the Grand Slams, a run dating back to 2021.
“I feel like I’m playing as well as I was at the end of last year. But it’s hard to put it all together over two weeks. Sometimes it doesn’t align.
“I am managing the knee and I have a bit of a neck injury as well. But I feel good overall. That’s why it’s disappointing. The most frustrating thing was I wasn’t able to figure it out, which I feel I should be able to.”
It was only Cocciaretto’s second win against a top-10 player.
The 24-year-old has never been past the third round at Wimbledon and her best Grand Slam performance was a run to the last 16 at the 2024 French Open.
But she was rock-solid throughout, breaking her opponent four times and exacting revenge for her straight-set defeat at Wimbledon in 2023.
“Playing on this court is a dream for me,” Cocciaretto said.
“Last year here I was in the hospital and I was sick for one month and a half. I couldn’t play here. That’s why I was so pumped to play. Because I think it’s the best tournament and of course grass is always special to play.
“I don’t think too much about my ranking now... The journey in tennis is long. You have to adapt. You have to enjoy. But you also have to accept life.”
As for Pegula, she is already looking forward to her next tournament, saying: “The bonus is I can go prep for the hard courts, which seems to be my favourite surface anyways – and see if I can just make some more magic this summer.”
Fifth seed Zheng Qinwen of China also suffered an early exit, losing 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova.
Siniakova will next face Japan’s former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, who saw off Australian qualifier Talia Gibson 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Poland’s Iga Swiatek recovered from a shaky first set to beat Russian Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-1.
In the men’s field, top seed Jannick Sinner had an untroubled start to his Wimbledon campaign with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory over his Italian compatriot Luca Nardi.
Sinner will play Aleksandar Vukic of Australia in the second round. AFP, REUTERS
