Coco Gauff silences Wimbledon demons with dominant first round over Caroline Dolehide

A year after bowing out of the All England Club at the first hurdle, the reigning US Open champion stormed past Dolehide to begin her campaign for a fourth straight major semifinal.

Coco Gauff made up for a disappointing exit from the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in style on Monday, storming past Caroline Dolehide, 6-1, 6-2.

“Last year I lost first round here, and it was a very tough moment for me,” Gauff said on court. “I’m a little bit emotional because it’s been a long year but it’s incredible how I was able to turn it around.”

Gauff first announced herself to the tennis world back in 2019 when she roared into the fourth round with a win over Venus Williams, but she stumbled out of SW19 at the first hurdle 12 months ago to Sofia Kenin.

The defeat led Gauff to shake up her team and hire coach Brad Gilbert, a move that inspired a run of form that took her to a maiden major victory at the US Open and a new plateau of Grand Slam consistency. Up against another countrywoman in Dolehide, the No. 2 seed began her campaign for a fourth straight semifinal after an 64-minute victory on Centre Court.

The two were facing off at a major for the second time this year, with Gauff defeating Dolehide at the Australian Open as part of her 12-match Grand Slam streak that ended in the semifinals to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka. With both Sabalenka and projected fourth-round opponent Victoria Azarenka out of the Championships due to shoulder injuries, the 20-year-old emerged on court looking like an even clearer favorite to go deep at the only major where she is yet to reach the semifinals.

Coming off a solid run to the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt, Gauff had the grass firmly under her feet as she breezed through the opening set and taking a 4-0 lead in the second. Posting strong serve numbers after dealing with the yips during the clay-court season, she dropped just three points behind her first serve on the day.

Dolehide, who made her WTA breakthrough last fall when she reached her first 1000-level final in Guadalajara, showed remarkable fight on the brink of defeat, breaking serve for the first time in the match to get on the board and holding to further reduce the deficit.

Rather than tighten up, Gauff got stronger in reply, holding for 5-2 and earning a match point on Dolehide’s typically formidable serve. Dolehide saved one when Gauff overpressed off the forehand side but the No. 2 seed wouldn’t be denied, quickly engineering a second match point and converting to book her spot in the second round.

Awaiting her there will be Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni, who edged past lucky loser Olga Danilovic in straight sets earlier on Monday.