Upsets Shake Up Wimbledon as Seeds Fall in Early Rounds

WIMBLEDON, England — The prestigious Wimbledon tournament has witnessed historic upheaval in its opening rounds, with 23 of the 64 seeded players losing in the first round, marking the highest number of upsets ever recorded at the event. As the third round begins, only 27 seeds remain standing — 14 women and 13 men — the lowest since the 32-seed format was introduced in 2001.

On the women’s side, four of the top five seeds have already exited. Coco Gauff, the second seed, succumbed to Dayana Yastremska‘s aggressive style, while Jessica Pegula (3) faced a strong performance from Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round. Zheng Qinwen (5) and last year’s finalist Jasmine Paolini (4) also suffered early exits, leaving only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in contention.

Among the men, three of the top five seeds remain: Jannik Sinner (1), defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (2), and Taylor Fritz (5). Britain’s hope Jack Draper (4) fell in the second round, along with world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, both highlighting the unpredictability of grass court play.

Analysts Charlie Eccleshare and Matt Futterman discussed the wave of upsets. Eccleshare noted, “There have been some huge shocks… Gauff’s loss felt seismic, but all the signs were there.” Futterman added that these results reflect the difficulty and depth of the field: “No matter how good a player is, it’s hard to win matches.”

The players struggled to adapt quickly to the grass surface, which requires specialized skills. As Futterman pointed out, “There are so few players who are really good on grass,” and with a condensed lead-in period for preparation, players often arrive ill-equipped.

As the tournament progresses, unseeded players like Amanda Anisimova and several qualifiers are moving up the ranks, presenting new opportunities. Anisimova is currently favored to reach the semifinals thanks to a favorable draw.

Amid the chaos, focus remains on the remaining top contenders. The likes of Sabalenka, Alcaraz, and Sinner are expected to make deep runs if they can avoid the upset trend that has characterized this year’s Wimbledon.

As history unfolds on the grass courts, fans are left wondering if the tournament will see a new champion or if the established stars manage to hold their ground amid the turmoil.