Emma Navarro has defeated Coco Gauff in a Wimbledon upset

NPR | By Ayana Archie

Published July 8, 2024 at 3:35 AM EDT

Emma Navarro of the United States celebrates after defeating compatriot Coco Gauff in their fourth round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

American player Emma Navarro upset No. 2 seed Coco Gauff at Wimbledon, the latest in a string of exits by top-seeded women at the tournament.

Navarro won 6-4, 6-3 Sunday, the fourth round of the tournament, making it her first time making it to the quarterfinals in one of the Grand Slam contests, which also include the U.S. Open, French Open and Australian Open.

Navarro is seeded 19th in the tournament.

“I don’t have a ton of words, but just really grateful to be out here on Centre Court, at a tournament with so much history and tradition that so many legends have played on before me,” she said post-match. “It’s a real honor.”

Navarro said she and Gauff were both trying to impair the other’s forehand stroke during the match.

“I love matches like that where it feels like it’s not just a hitting or striking competition,” she said. “There’s strategy involved and it feels like a chess match or something, so that was really enjoyable for me.”

Gauff has been knocked out of Wimbledon in the fourth round in each of her appearances, including in 2021 and 2019, at age 15.

Navarro also defeated Naomi Osaka in the second round and will play Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the next round.

Gauff was the latest top-seeded woman to depart Wimbledon. Over the weekend, No. 1-seeded Iga Swiatek lost, while the reigning Wimbledon champion, Markéta Vondroušová, lost last week.