Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
Wimbledon—Knocked to her knees behind the baseline, Coco Gauff was staggered by Solana Sierra’s deep drives.
Two points from suffering another early exit at The Championships, Gauff was down 3-5 in the final set when she climbed off the lawn and delivered a crackling comeback.
A fearless Gauff slammed a 117 mph ace down the T, capping a fierce 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) fight back to reach the Wimbledon third round for the fifth time in seven appearances.
Rocketing that match-ending ace, Gauff flipped her Head racquet aside then turned No. 1 Court into a bounce house jumping for joy.
“It was obviously a really tough match. I think that was my first time doing a 10-pointer in the third,” Gauff said of the match tiebreaker. “Thankfully. Glad it was that today, because otherwise it would not have been my win today.
“But yeah, I think I’m happy with just how I fought and competed. She was playing really big tennis. I was just trying to be aggressive when I could. But really happy with how I served today.”
On a day in which 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova converted her seventh match point toppling reigning Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Centre Court, Sierra pushed Gauff to the very edge of elimination on No. 1 Court.
The last 20 minutes of this match was a thrill ride for both competitors and the packed crowd.
World No. 56 Sierra was beating Gauff in forehand exchanges, served for the match at 5-4 and was two points from triumph at 30-15. Then Sierra double-faulted and Gauff turned it on winning seven of the next eight points to edge ahead 6-5.
Tension escalated in the 10-point match tiebreaker as Sierra took a 7-4 lead.
A relentless Gauff responded with disruptive speed and a damaging serve surging through six straight points to seal one of her grittiest Grand Slam comebacks.
Deadlocked at 7-all in the breaker, Gauff carved a poor drop shot, Sierra ran it down and hit her approach down the line.
Streaking across the lawn, Gauff improvised on the run poking a pass by Sierra and eliciting squeals of excitement from fans to snatch an 8-7 lead.
“Obviously, probably not always good to hit a dropshot there,” Gauff said. “I don’t know, at that point, I thought I have to commit and trust myself.
“She hit a good shot back. I don’t know, I didn’t really think, honestly. It was just one of those things that you play doubles, you work on reactions for moments like that. It’s not necessarily something you think about…
“Yeah, honestly, we’ve worked on half volleys and stuff. Because my coach is French, I feel like it’s something they like to do and stuff. I don’t know. Really that one came out of, like, my butt.”
Gauff, who hit several 120 mile-an-hour serves today, reached up for roaring closure cranking a 118 mph serve winner for match points.
Thundering her 10th ace to end it, Gauff turned No. 1 Court into a bounce house on this July 1st, seven years to the day after she announced herself as a Slam contender stunning Venus Williams on the very same court as a 313th-ranked qualifier back in 2019.
In those days, the teenage Gauff could swing freely and enjoy the upside of life on the rise.
These days, Gauff carries the burden of expectation trying to reach a maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal.
The seventh-seeded Gauff won eight of the first nine points breaking in Sierra’s opening service game only to see the Argentinean break back in the third game.
On her third set point, Gauff banged a heavy body serve to seize a one-set lead after 32 minutes.
Sierra, who reached the Wimbledon fourth round last year, turned the tables denying break points in a tough hold to start the second set. Gauff shanked a serve and sent a forehand long as Sierra broke for 2-0.
Though Gauff slashed successive aces cutting the second-set gap to 3-5, Sierra touched the T with a service winner converting her third break point to force a decider after 63 minutes.
Firing the wide serve on the deuce side to set up her down the line forehand, Sierra saved two break points to level after six games of the second set. That stand inspired the Argentinean who drilled the Gauff forehand wing, gaining triple break point in the seventh game.
Rapping a return winner crosscourt, Sierra broke for 4-3 and backed up the break at 15 for 5-3.
The two-time Grand Slam champion showed stiff resolve breaking back from 30-15 down when Sierra served for the match. Gauff ran down a dropper and angled a backhand pass holding for 6-5 before Sierra answered to force that exhilarating match tiebreaker.
The 22-year-old Gauff will face compatriot Claire Liu, who played through qualifying to reach the third round for the first time.