On Day 2 of Wimbledon 2025, upsets kept rolling in, pushing the total to 23 seeded players. Around 13 men and 10 women have failed to reach the second round. This ties the all-time record for most early exits at a Grand Slam tournament since 2001, when the 32-seed format was introduced.
Fans were stunned as top names like Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, and Jessica Pegula fell early, rewriting the expectations for this year’s championships.
Wimbledon 2001 witnessed a similar storyline. That year, Pete Sampras, then a dominant force on grass, lost in the first round to George Bastl in what was called the end of an era. In the same tournament, a wildcard entry, Goran Ivanisevic, captured the men’s title in a fairy-tale run ranked No. 125 in the world and written off by most.
On the women’s side, Venus Williams stormed to her first title, making her mark as a dominant grass-court player. The chaos of that fortnight gave fans moments of heartbreak, magic, and history, a blend Wimbledon is known for.
This year, underdogs are already taking their chances. Arthur Rinderknech outplayed Zverev in five gritty sets, and Nikoloz Basilashvili stunned No. 7 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Coco Gauff’s early exit also leaves the women’s draw wide open. Players like Dayana Yastremska, who ousted Gauff, now eye deep runs.
Could another unseeded or wildcard player rise? The last to do it at Wimbledon was Ivanišević. With top seeds gone, the chance is real again in 2025.
What makes Wimbledon unique is how quickly the script flips. Grass rewards boldness, and pressure breaks the biggest names. In 2001, the carnage cleared the path for once-in-a-lifetime moments. Now, 24 years later, the conditions are eerily similar.
History may not repeat itself exactly, but Wimbledon 2025 is already writing a story few expected — and fans should be watching every twist.
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Coco Gauff’s Stunning Wimbledon Upset Overshadows Busy Day of Surprises
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