The 2025 Wimbledon Championships witnessed major upsets on Tuesday as third seed Jessica Pegula and fifth seed Zheng Qinwen were both knocked out in the opening round, leaving fans stunned.
Pegula, the American world number three, described her loss as the "worst result of the year" after falling to Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Despite sporting heavy strapping on her right knee, Pegula insisted the injury was not a factor in her defeat. The match lasted just 58 minutes on Court Two, where Pegula struggled with unforced errors and failed to create a single break point opportunity.
"This is definitely probably the worst result I've had all year," Pegula admitted. "I've been winning lots of matches, but sometimes it doesn't all align when you need it to."
Hours later, Zheng Qinwen, the reigning Olympic champion, also exited the tournament after a hard-fought battle against Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. Siniakova, ranked 81st in singles but a three-time Wimbledon doubles champion, secured a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 victory. This marked the third consecutive year Zheng has been eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon, with Siniakova also defeating her two years ago.
Pegula, fresh off a title win at Bad Homburg last week, was expected to make a deep run at Wimbledon. However, her Grand Slam struggles continue, as she has only advanced beyond the quarter-finals once in her career—at the 2024 US Open, where she finished as runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka. Since then, she has failed to reach the last eight in any major tournament.
"I haven't lost in the first round of a Slam in a very long time, so that sucks," Pegula said. "I'm upset that I wasn't able to turn anything around."
Cocciaretto, ranked 116th in the world, capitalized on Pegula's error-prone performance to secure her second career win over a top-10 player. Pegula's frustration was evident as she struggled with her serve, committing 24 unforced errors and hitting just five winners.
Meanwhile, Siniakova's victory over Zheng highlighted her grass-court expertise, further cementing her reputation as a formidable opponent in singles and doubles. Zheng, despite her rising profile, remains unable to overcome the first-round hurdle at Wimbledon.
These early exits have set the stage for a wide-open tournament, with fans eagerly anticipating who will rise to the occasion in the coming days.
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