Now there’s a lop-sided result no one expected. At least, not from the likes of Coco Gauff. The top seed disappointingly walked out of the Canadian Open doors on Friday, August 9. In a classic turn of events, the American was outfoxed by Diana Shnaider, falling to the 14th seed in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 in windy conditions at Sobeys Stadium, Toronto. However, this might be the start of troubles for the young talent.

Gauff, who was in preparation for her US Open title defense, will likely have to endure a major hit in rankings with an unexpected loss. In hopes of reclaiming her World No. 2 position, Aryna Sabalenka could come and swoop right in. Furthermore, the Belarusian has made a deep run at the WTA 1000 masters event. This, in turn, can potentially turn fatal for the young American as her ranking will be up for grabs.

The former World No. 1 has successfully booked a quarterfinal berth at the National Bank Open. During her Round of 16 appearance, Sabalenka made short work of her opponent, Katie Boulter, concluding their duel 6-3, 6-3. Although this triumph does wonders for the 26-year-old, it certainly does no favors to Gauff. Considering the Belarusian’s impressive form in Toronto, if she manages to rack up more victories and lift the crown, she will supersede the reigning Flushing Meadows champion in WTA rankings by 200 points.

She will aim to take the World No. 2 spot and dispatch the 20-year-old to trail behind her. While the revelation of such an outcome can prove disheartening for the American, there’s still a slim chance for her to do some damage control. Coco’s performance in the upcoming Cincinnati Open will dictate her future position on the rankings. However, she will need to deliver formidable results to reach the event’s QFs to comfortably assume the No. 2 seed at the hardcourt Slam.

Although her run in Canada did not go well, Gauff did not expect a great outcome. Prior to the tournament, she said, “I have no expectations for this week. I am not going into this expecting to win or anything.“

Moreover, Gauff’s latest loss also broke another record held by her. While she isn’t pleased with this outcome, the 20-year-old also reserved a few words to express her dismay.

Coco Gauff did not feel comfortable with her gameplay in Toronto

Coco Gauff’s Canadian Open thrashing has marked her maiden loss before the quarterfinals in her last four appearances at the event. Moreover, the American was defeated by a player younger than her for the first time. Diana Shnaider is three weeks younger than the American. Further, in a post-match presser, the 20-year-old stated her reasoning behind the terrible setback.

Gauff highlighted that she delivered significant errors during her showdown against the Russian, amassing a total of 42 unforced errors. This, in turn, prompted Shnaider to take advantage of the situation. “I think she kind of knew to just stay steady because I was giving her a lot of errors. I think today I was just giving her too many errors, so it wasn’t necessary for her to do that. Overall, there [was] no part of my game that I felt comfortable in today.”

While it is yet to be seen what happens with Gauff’s ranking after her WTA Toronto upset, her opponent has moved to the last eight. The former World No. 23 will now face Liudmila Samsonova for a place in the event’s semifinal on Saturday, August 10.