Upset on Centre Court! Coco Gauff‘s Wimbledon dream run ended abruptly on Sunday as the No. 2 seed fell to No. 17 seed Emma Navarro in straight sets (6-4, 6-3). The 20-year-old American appeared visibly frustrated throughout the match, struggling to contain Navarro’s powerful forehand. Gauff’s frustration was evident as she repeatedly glanced towards her player box, seemingly seeking guidance from coach Brad Gilbert. One particularly tense moment saw her mumble, “Tell me something,” hinting at her desperate search for answers. Unfortunately for Gauff, those answers never materialized, leaving her campaign at Wimbledon cut short. However, for Emma, it garnered momentum!

Navarro, meanwhile, thrived on the big stage. As the match wore on, she transformed into a beacon of composure, her confidence solidifying with each winning point. In a post-match interview, one of the reporters asked Navarro what does it feel like to make your opponent frustrated. To which Emma responded, “I don’t normally give the other side of the court too much energy. I keep it in my side of the court but yeah I guess seeing her kind of frustrated and looking at her box and putting her arms up in the air it’s definitely a little bit of a confidence boost and I guess that maybe gave me a little bit of momentum and just some energy that I need”.

The world’s no 17 WTA star has faced many internal dilemmas before this match. After clouding her head with thoughts like “Why not me? Why not? Why can’t I make a quarterfinal run? Why can’t I go deep in Grand Slams?”, Navarro made a great run against Gauff and fulfilled her dreams this time to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Calling Gauff “an amazing player”, Navarro further said, “I have a ton of respect for her and what she’s gone at such a young age is amazing. I knew she wasn’t going to make it easy tonight but I wanted to play aggressive and push back.” Her statements reveal she was prepared to play with her heart and soul to make her quarterfinal entry against Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday. Despite losing to Gauff in Auckland Classic earlier this year by 3-6 and 1-6 in semis, Navarro turned the table with her sheer brilliance this time.

After losing to an opponent placed 15 ranks lower than her, Gauff explained her mental state and how she felt directionless. “We had a game plan going in, and I felt that it wasn’t working. I don’t always ask for advice from the box, but today was one of those rare moments where I felt I didn’t have solutions,” said Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion and seeded No. 2 at the All England Club. “…Today, mentally, there was a lot going on. I felt like I wanted more direction.”

Navarro’s recent performance against Gauff brought a lot of promise about her ability to win a Grand Slam this season. While Emma praised Gauff, the latter also complimented Navarro, revealing their relationship equation off the court.

Coco thinks Emma is “very talented”

Before her match against Emma, Gauff praised her Round of 16 opponent in a Wimbledon press conference. Not only did she call Navarro “very talented”, but also mentioned how “she has a very all-court game and playing her is going to be tough match.” After that, the reigning US Open champion delved into her “very friendly” relationship off the court.

“Relationship-wise we’re very friendly with each other I wouldn’t say we’re like close friends just because we didn’t like we grew up but then we kind of split cause she went to college but we’re always very friendly with each other. I am super excited to be on the same Olympic team with her”- Gauff said.

Nevertheless, Emma Navarro’s statements about playing against Gauff and winning the match showcased how carefully she prepared herself and witnessed her opponent’s every detail to make her quarterfinal run possible. Following such indomitable spirit and hard work, Navarro offers more chances for all to put their hopes on this world’s no 17 WTA star to win the Grand Slam title.