Wimbledon 2025 sets historic record as top seeds crash out in first round

Opta data shows that 8 of the top 10 seeds in both singles draws were knocked out before the second round, marking the highest number of first-round exits by top seeds at a Grand Slam in the Open Era

8 of the top 10 seeds across both singles draws failed to reach the second round

Among the most shocking exits were Alexander Zverev and freshly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff

Published on:

02 Jul 2025, 5:27 pm

Updated on:

02 Jul 2025, 5:27 pm

2 min read

Wimbledon 2025 is off to a jaw-dropping start, with the tournament witnessing a record number of seeded players bowing out in the first round. Among the most shocking exits were men’s third seed Alexander Zverev and women’s second seed and freshly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff.

A total of 13 seeded men and 10 seeded women were eliminated in just the first two days of the tournament

According to data from Opta, 8 of the top 10 seeds across both singles draws failed to reach the second round, marking the highest number of top-seed exits in the first round at a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Alexander, who was riding high after strong performances earlier this season, was knocked out in a grueling five-set battle against France’s Arthur Rinderknech: 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4.

Meanwhile, Coco suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska (ranked No. 42), losing 7-6(3), 6-1 in what many are calling the biggest upset of the women’s draw.

Other big-name casualties from the men’s draw include Lorenzo Musetti (7), Holger Rune (8), Daniil Medvedev (9), and Matteo Berrettini (32). Also joining the exodus were Cerundolo (16), Humbert (18), Popyrin (20), Tsitsipas (24), Shapovalov (27), Bublik (28), Michelsen (30), and Griekspoor (31). This 13-player exit ties the 2004 Australian Open record for most seeded men to lose in the opening round of a Grand Slam.

On the women’s side, the early exits included Jessica Pegula (3), Qinwen Zheng (5), and Paula Badosa (9), signaling a major shakeup in the women’s bracket.

Novak faced an early scare against Alexandre Muller

Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the next round

Despite the chaos, some familiar faces weathered the storm

Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova both advanced to the second round. So did former champions Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Jannik Sinner, restoring some balance amid the unpredictability.

Novak faced an early scare against Alexandre Muller. He lost the second set in a tiebreak before regaining control to seal the match in four sets.

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