The opening rounds of Wimbledon 2025 have kicked off with a series of dramatic upsets, leaving many of the top seeds in both men’s and women’s draws reflecting on unexpected early exits. In particular, the first two days have witnessed a slew of surprising outcomes that have set the stage for a riveting tournament ahead.
Starting with the women’s side, the most notable upset came when the third seed Jessica Pegula succumbed to a quick defeat, losing 6-2, 6-3 in less than an hour to the world No. 116, Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Pegula’s performance was dismal, managing only five winners throughout the match while accumulating an alarming 24 unforced errors. Despite this painful exit, Pegula graciously acknowledged Cocciaretto’s impressive play. “It’s really a bummer to lose,” lamented Pegula, who had entered the tournament without losing in the first round of a Grand Slam for over five years. “But at the same time, I do feel like she played kind of insane,” she remarked, indicating her respect for her opponent’s performance. On a slightly positive note, Pegula viewed her exit as an opportunity to prepare for the hard court season, where she has historically thrived.
The woes for the seeded players continued with fifth seed Qinwen Zheng also crashing out in the first round. For the third consecutive year at Wimbledon, Zheng fell at this early stage, this time losing to world No. 81 Katerina Siniakova with a scoreline of 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. Reflecting on her performance, Zheng expressed disappointment in her service game, noting that she struggled to maintain concentration, particularly while leading 5-3 in the first set. Zheng acknowledged that her Grand Slam journey has been a mix of success and struggle – highlighted by her 2024 Australian Open final appearance, Olympic gold, and several early exits in other tournaments.
Lorenzo Musetti, the seventh seed in the men’s draw, also faced an unexpected early exit, undone in his first-round match against qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili. Musetti, who had a standout season on grass the previous year, described his defeat as a “really bad day at the office,” particularly since he had been recovering from a leg injury and had not played since the French Open semi-finals. The Italian admitted that he felt disconnected from his game and struggled to find comfort on the court, emphasizing how difficult it was to transition back to competitive play.
On a similar note, ninth-seeded Daniil Medvedev suffered a shocking loss to world No. 64 Benjamin Bonzi. Medvedev, who had made the semi-finals in the last two editions of Wimbledon, found himself frustrated and perplexed by Bonzi’s performance on the day, which left him stunned. “Surprised by his level,” Medvedev lamented, indicating that he did not expect Bonzi to compete at such a high standard. The upset is significant as it could potentially drop Medvedev’s ranking down to No. 14.
Another high-profile casualty was eighth seed Holger Rune, who lost a tightly contested match in five sets to qualifier Nicolas Jarry. Rune took control early by winning the first two sets, but then faltered, allowing Jarry to mount a comeback. After the match, Rune expressed his frustration, stating, “If I play normal, I’m beating him nine out of 10 times,” though he acknowledged that a knee issue began to limit his performance in the later stages of the match.
Lastly, ninth seed Paula Badosa faced the daunting challenge of competing against British No. 2 Katie Boulter in what proved to be a thrilling opening-round match. Boulter managed to pull off an impressive victory, which she described as one of the reasons she plays tennis. She expressed her delight at winning on Center Court, highlighting the significance of competing against top players.
As more matches unfold at Wimbledon 2025, the early results sow intrigue for fans and set an unpredictable tone for the tournament ahead. Spectators are now left wondering which seeds will falter next as they watch the singles finals and daily highlights on platforms such as TNT Sports and discovery+.
