#Coco Gauff out in upset, Venus Williams loses, Djokovic and Swiatek cruise to Round 2 [Video]

Despite an afternoon rain storm that caused a 45-minute delay, nothing could dampen the first day of play at Wimbledon. Not for the crowds, which were large and loud, or for the players.

The two top players at Wimbledon, Iga Swiatek (No. 1 seed) and Novak Djokovic (No. 2 seed), both survived the rain suspension and won their matches with little issue. Swiatek faced Lin Zhu, the No. 34 player in the world, and took care of business with a 6-1, 6-3 win. There were a few hard-fought games, but Swiatek came within a breath of handing Zhu a bagel for the first set. Not even someone loudly dropping a wine bottle on the ground during match point could shake her.

Djokovic, who appears to be focusing solely on majors at this point in his career, had very little trouble against Pedro Cachin, defeating him 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4). The mid-match rain delay gave Cachin a bit of a boost, and he came close to forcing a fourth set, but Djokovic absolutely dominated him in the tiebreak. Cachin is ranked No. 68 in the world, so he’s no slouch, but it was essentially a warm-up match for Djokovic. He faced a little pressure here and there and was challenged by Cachin’s serving in the third set, but there was no doubt he’d emerge with the win. And when he did, it was his 29th consecutive win at Wimbledon.

Venus Williams falls to Elina Svitolina in return to Wimbledon

She had a tough draw in Round 1, playing the resurgent Elina Svitolina. Williams was in control right away, going up 2-1 relatively easily, but the wet, slippery court caused her to take a nasty spill on her right leg, which was heavily strapped at the knee.

She screamed loudly when she fell, silencing the entire venue. Even though she got up and was able to continue, the vibes had changed. The crowd had been loud and encouraging, but the atmosphere was tentative after the fall. Instead of hoping she could beat the odds and make it to Round 2, most people were just hoping she wasn’t seriously injured and could finish the match.

Williams did finish the match and didn’t seem to be hurting too much, and she even made a late surge in the second set, but she didn’t prevail. Svitolina, at her second Grand Slam since giving birth to her first child in October 2022, won 6-4, 6-3, with Williams losing on a line challenge.

We don’t know the next time we’ll see Venus on the court. She doesn’t play regularly anymore and came to Wimbledon because it holds a special place in her heart — it’s where she won her very first Grand Slam in 2000. Hopefully this won’t be the last time we see her at a Grand Slam, but even if it is, it doesn’t devalue anything that came before. She’s one of the all-time greats.

How did the Americans do?

There are 19 American women and 13 American men competing in Wimbledon this year. A few of them won on Monday, and 10 of them lost.

• No. 3 Jessica Pegula def. Lauren Davis 6-2, 6(8)-7, 6-3

• Sofia Kenin def. Coco Gauff 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

• Alycia Parks def. Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4, 6-3

• J.J. Wolff def. Enzo Couacaud 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(4)

• Michael Mmoh (lucky loser) def. No. 11 Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-4

Unfortunately, Brandon Nakashima, Lauren Davis, Katie Volynets, Claire Liu, Caty McNally, Caroline Dolehide, Coco Gauff, Venus Williams and Peyton Stearns lost. Jon Isner, a former Wimbledon semifinalist who made it to Round 3 last year, also won’t be moving on after losing to Jaume Munar in four sets. It was his eighth first-round loss in nine tournaments in 2023, and his ranking has slipped out of the top 100.

Upsets and other results

Coco Gauff, the No. 7 seed, was in trouble from the moment her match against fellow American Sofia Kenin started. She seemed slower and less confident than normal, and as the match went on, it was apparent that she was wholly unprepared for Kenin. Kenin frequently dictated the pace, forcing Gauff to run all over the court to return tough shots. Kenin is a former major winner, and though unseeded at Wimbledon, she can be deadly. She was on Monday, defeating Gauff 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

• No. 4 Casper Ruud defeated Laurent Lokoli 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Ruud is not a grass-court guy and admitted as much in his post-match comments, so he’s looking at himself as an underdog every time he takes the court and just trying to play loose. Mission accomplished for Round 1.

• Jannik Sinner, the No. 8 seed, confidently beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo in straight sets.

• No. 5 Caroline Garcia defeated American Katie Volynets 6-4, 6-3.

Highlight of the day

The big news of the day was the rain. The chair umpire on center court during the Djokovic-Cachin match was slow to recognize that the rain was going to cause a wetness problem, so the court was damp by the time the roof closed. They tried everything to get the court dry, and Djokovic even joined in to help.