Elisabetta Cocciaretto stunned Jessica Pegula to claim a spot in the second round at Wimbledon.
Jessica Pegula Vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Wimbledon: Third Seed Stunned By Italian In First Round
Elisabetta Cocciaretto is the first-ever player from Italy to defeat a top-three seed at the Wimbledon Championships in the Open Era. She is also the first woman from her country to beat a top-three seed in any Major since Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci at the 2015 US Open
Pegula came into the Championships on the back of an impressive triumph at the Bad Homburg Open, yet the third seed became the first big-name exit from the women's singles draw.
Cocciaretto prevailed 6-2 6-3 in just 58 minutes on Tuesday, sealing just the second top-10 victory of her career and avenging a straight-sets loss to Pegula at Wimbledon in 2023.
The Italian has form on grass, having reached two semi-finals on the surface, though she has slipped down from number 43 in the rankings to 116 over the past year, having missed the 2024 edition of Wimbledon.
"I was so pumped to play Wimbledon this year," Cocciaretto said in her on-court interview. "I couldn't wait until the match started, I was practising so hard.
"I had a lot of stops last year. I was in the hospital, and I was sick for one month.
"That's why I couldn't play here, and that's why I was so pumped.
"I don't think too much about my ranking right now. The journey of tennis is long. You have to adapt yourself, you have to enjoy, but also you have upset in life."
Data Debrief: Cocciaretto makes waves for Italy
Cocciaretto is the first Italian player to defeat a top-three seed at the Championships in the Open Era.
She is also the first woman from her nation to defeat a top-three seed in any major since Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci triumphed over Simona Halep and Serena Williams, respectively, at the 2015 US Open.
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