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Coco Gauff barely escapes another first-round loss at Wimbledon
Coco Gauff barely escapes another first-round loss at Wimbledon
- Coco Gauff barely escapes another first-round loss at Wimbledon
Two points away from losing in the first round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, American Coco Gauff rallied to outlast Solana Sierra of Argentina in a third-set tiebreaker at Wimbledon.
In a hard-fought match filled with momentum swings, the seventh-seeded Gauff took the first set 6-3 before Sierra turned the tables in the second, setting up a winner-take-all third set.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Though I was nervous at most points in the match, I was just trying to be positive and I think that showed," Gauff said in her post-match interview.
When Sierra broke Gauff's serve to go up 4-3 in the third, the 22-year-old found herself on the verge of the greatest victory of her pro career. However, she couldn't close the deal at 5-4 as Gauff managed to come up with the crucial break to get the match back on serve.
"When she had a serve for the match, I just reminded myself I'm a great returner as well," Gauff said.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships came up all aces, with several of Hollywood's finest flocking to London to see the all-star tennis matchups. Here's who was spotted in the stands, from Bad Bunny to Princess Kate.Bad Bunny, pictured, was seen with Gabriela Berlingeri in Novak Djokovic's box as he watched Djokovic play against China's Yibing Wu in their men's singles first-round match on day one on June 29, 2026.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)Jennifer Lopez, left, and Tom Hiddleston watch the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev on day 14 on July 12, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Tom Hiddleston, top, and Andrew Garfield watch the Sinner-Zverev match on July 12, 2026.
(KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, AFP via Getty Images)Mother-daughter matching! Nicky Hilton Rothschild, left, and Lily-Grace Rothschild wore navy blue polka-dotted dresses while attending Wimbledon on July 12.
(Hoda Davaine, Hoda Davaine/Getty Images for Em)Catherine, Princess of Wales, is in the Royal Box on day 14 on July 12, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate
(ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images)Prince George and Princess Charlotte
(ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images)Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte
(ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images)Princess Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte
(Pool, Getty Images)Anna Wintour and Nicole Kidman are in the Royal Box on day 14 of Wimbledon on July 12, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Rami Malek (L) on the day 14 of Wimbledon on July 12, 2026.
(KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, AFP via Getty Images)Twiggy and Daisy Edgar-Jones attend as guests of Emirates, on July 12, 2026.
(Hoda Davaine, Hoda Davaine/Getty Images for Emirates)Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell attend as guests of Emirates on July 12, 2026.
(Hoda Davaine, Hoda Davaine/Getty Images for Emirates)Annette Edberg speaks to Dustin and Lisa Hoffman in the Royal Box on July 12, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Ben Stiller and Ben Curtis in the Royal Box on July 12, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Lily Collins is seen in the Royal Box box before the women's singles final tennis match on the day 13 on July 11, 2026.
(ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images)Princess Kate arrives to attend the women's singles final tennis match on the day 13 on July 11, 2026.
(ANDREW MATTHEWS, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Lily James is seen in the Royal Box on day 11 on July 9, 2026.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)Priyanka Chopra Jonas
(Susan Mullane, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)Sam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
(Stuart C. Wilson, Getty Images for AELTC, Wimbledon)Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss are seen in the Royal Box on July 6, 2026.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)Princess Kate's sister, Pippa Matthews, is seen in the Royal Box on July 6, 2026.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)Damson Idris poses in the Arrivals Hub during day six of the Wimbledon Championships on July 4, 2026.
(Stuart C. Wilson, Getty Images for AELTC, Wimbledon)Princess Kate attends the women's singles second round match between Katie Swan of Great Britain and Madison Keys of the United States alongside Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong on day four, July 2, 2026.
(James Fearn, Getty Images)Ben Stiller watches the men's singles second round match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece on day three of the Wimbledon Championships on July 1, 2026.
(Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)Bad Bunny
(GLYN KIRK, AFP via Getty Images)David Beckham, his mother Sandra Georgina Beckham and Mary Berry are seen in the Royal Box on June 29.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)David Beckham and his mother, Sandra Georgina Beckham
(GLYN KIRK, AFP via Getty Images)Niall Horan and girlfriend Amelia Woolley pose together in the Arrivals Hub on day one of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on June 29, 2026.
(Stuart C. Wilson, Getty Images for AELTC, Wimbledon)Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is seen in the Royal Box on day one of the Wimbledon Championships 2026 on June 29, 2026, in London.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber more in July's best celebrity photos
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Taylor Swift, MrBeast and more celeb engagements, marriages in 2026
Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber more in July's best celebrity photos
Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber more in July's best celebrity photos
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Celebrity sightings at Wimbledon 2026, from Jennifer Lopez to Princess Kate
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is seen in the Royal Box on day one of the Wimbledon Championships 2026 on June 29, 2026, in London.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)A two-time Grand Slam winner, Gauff was playing in the first third-set tiebreaker in a major of her career.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSierra moved out to a 7-4 advantage on her serve, but Gauff rallied behind an incredible backhand winner to go up 8-7.
A service ace down the middle finished off Gauff's comeback victory as she took the final six points of the tiebreak.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coco Gauff barely escapes another first-round loss at Wimbledon