Coco Gauff continued her strong performance at Wimbledon by advancing to the third round with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory over qualifier Anca Todoni on Wednesday. This victory on No. 1 Court, a venue that holds special significance for Gauff, moves her another step away from last year's disappointing first-round exit.
Gauff, who first gained international attention when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, reflected on her journey and the lessons learned from her unexpected loss to Sofia Kenin in the first round of last year's tournament.
“Overall, I just learned about life a lot,” Gauff said, per ESPN News Services. “I just realized that, yes, what I do I'm very passionate about, but it's not ever that serious and sometimes the world can make you feel like there's so much pressure, there's so much expectation … At the end of the (day), it's a game. It's sport.”
During her match against Todoni, Gauff faced some challenges, including slipping twice on the slick court and committing 16 unforced errors. Despite these issues, she maintained control, winning the match in just 1 hour and 6 minutes.
“I do think I could have played cleaner at some points but overall I'm happy to have got through to the third round,” Gauff said post-match.
Todoni, a 19-year-old Romanian making her Grand Slam debut, struggled to find her range and committed 23 unforced errors. Gauff capitalized on Todoni's mistakes and closed out the match with a drop shot that Todoni failed to return effectively.
Reflecting on her early success at Wimbledon, Gauff shared her fondness for No. 1 Court, the site of her memorable win over Williams five years ago.
“This is the court where I first started here at Wimbledon. Court 1 is always a special place for me to play on,” the 20-year-old Gauff said in her on-court interview.
Coco Gauff’s Wimbledon comeback
Gauff made a notable comeback on Monday at Wimbledon in the first round, overcoming her previous year's first-round exit with a 6-1, 6-2 win over fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
“Last year I lost in the first round and it was very tough for me, that's why I am a little emotional and that's why I was happy to turn it around,” Gauff said after Monday’s first round win.
Coming into this year’s tournament, Gauff had been open about her struggles following last year’s early exit. She described herself as being “in a dark place” after the loss but used that experience as motivation to ensure things would be different this time. Gauff entered Wimbledon as a Grand Slam champion, having clinched the U.S. Open title in September.
Wednesday’s draw has opened up for Gauff following the first-day withdrawals of notable players such as Aryna Sabalenka and former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. Gauff will next face either British qualifier Sonay Kartel or France's Clara Burel.
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