American third seed Jessica Pegula was stunned in her opening match at Wimbledon on Tuesday, falling in straight sets to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Pegula was comprehensively beaten 6-2, 6-3 in just 58 minutes on Court Two by the world number 116.
The defeat is a significant setback for Pegula, who reached the US Open final in 2024 but has yet to advance beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
The 31-year-old appeared hampered by heavy strapping on her right knee and struggled to find her rhythm in a subdued display.
Since her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s US Open final, the world number three has failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of her three Grand Slam tournaments this season.
For 24-year-old Cocciaretto, this victory marked only her second triumph over a top-10 opponent.
The Italian has never progressed beyond the third round at Wimbledon, with her best Grand Slam result coming last year when she reached the last 16 at the French Open.
