LONDON — Everything was going wrong for Coco Gauff against Emma Navarro at Centre Court, and she frequently sought help from her coaches in the guest box. Brad Gilbert would stand up and gesture, and they would exchange words, but no solution emerged.
Gauff, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon, was eliminated at that stage again on Sunday, losing to Navarro 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American matchup.
“We had a game plan, and I felt it wasn’t working. I don’t always ask for advice from the box, but today was one of those rare moments where I felt lost,” said Gauff, the U.S. Open champion and the No. 2 seed at the All England Club. “I don’t want to say I didn’t have any solutions, but today, mentally, there was a lot going on. I felt like I needed more guidance.”
Gauff’s loss adds to a string of early exits by top women at Wimbledon this year: No. 1 Iga Swiatek lost on Saturday, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew with an injured shoulder, and No. 6 Marketa Vondrousova was beaten in the first round.
Only two of the top 10 seeds remain: 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, seeded No. 4, and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, seeded No. 7, who now faces Navarro. Rybakina plays her fourth-round match on Monday, while Paolini advanced when Madison Keys retired due to injury.
The 19th-seeded Navarro, who writes herself notes in her phone to prepare for matches, reached a major quarterfinal for the first time. She demonstrated her capabilities in the second round by defeating four-time major champion Naomi Osaka.
“I’m starting to believe that this is possible as it’s happening. I’m thinking, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I make a quarterfinal run? Why can’t I go deep in Grand Slams?’” said Navarro, 23, who grew up in South Carolina and won the 2021 NCAA championship in her first year at the University of Virginia.
On Sunday, Navarro took note of the interactions between Gauff and Gilbert — and Gauff’s growing frustration with her performance.
“I don’t usually give the other side of the court much energy. I focus on my side. But seeing her frustration and looking at her box for answers gave me a confidence boost,” Navarro said. “It provided me with momentum and energy that I needed.”
Besides her U.S. Open victory last September, the 20-year-old Gauff from Florida has been a runner-up at the French Open and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open.
Gauff’s breakthrough came at the All England Club at age 15, when she became the youngest qualifier in tournament history and defeated Venus Williams in the first round but has since never gone beyond the fourth round.
In 2021, she again exited in the fourth round, then lost in the third round in 2022 and in the first round last year.
On Sunday, Gauff made numerous errors, finishing with more than twice as many unforced errors (25) as winners (12). Her biggest problem was the forehand, her known weakness, which Navarro frequently targeted.
“I wanted to attack her forehand,” Navarro said.
Gauff committed 16 unforced forehand errors and another 16 forced errors, accounting for 32 of the 61 points won by Navarro.
“I have the ability to raise my level when opponents play well, and I didn’t do that today,” Gauff admitted.
She explained that she had previously received valuable mid-match advice from her coaches, but added: “I don’t think we were all in sync.”
“Nobody’s to blame except myself,” Gauff concluded. “I’m the player out there.”