Coco Gauff is making headlines with one of the biggest comebacks of the Wimbledon tournament, catapulting herself into contention for third place in the WTA rankings and already securing a return to the world top 4. The 2026 tournament has been a stage for monumental surprises, with early exits from big names like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina, the reigning champion, world number one, and world number two, respectively.
Despite the unexpected exits of the main favorites, Sabalenka and Rybakina will remain in the top two spots in the ranking after Wimbledon, but the hierarchy of the top 10 is in full upheaval. Coco Gauff, who had never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon, secured her place in the semi-finals after defeating compatriot and friend Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, thus adding 780 points to her tally and rising three positions in the ranking to fourth place. Her ascent may not stop here, as a victory at the All England Club could return her to third place, a position she has not held since April.
THE 2026 WORLD CUP IS EXPERIENCED WITH LEGO
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
In statements following her victory, Gauff did not hide her surprise at her journey: “Today was, I don’t know, if someone told me I would be in the semifinals of this tournament, I would say ‘You’re funny (laughs).’ Especially after my match in Berlin, from last year’s match here, in the last two years without winning anything in this tournament,” she revealed. Regarding the clash against Pegula, she added: “I think it was more about the number of matches going to three sets, and it’s like, how am I coming out of these matches, winning them. And also playing against Jess. I trust myself and the player I am, but I also look at things, I know tennis. Yes, if it weren’t me, I might bet on her to win with the style of play she has on this surface. But since it’s me, I bet on myself. I think it was more a reaction from a third-person perspective than really from me in the moment.” Gauff thus expressed surprise and determination, acknowledging the challenge and evolution of her own game.
Ahead, Gauff will face Karolina Muchova, who eliminated Naomi Osaka and arrives at these semi-finals buoyed by her victory at the Bad Homburg Open. The Czech player is also experiencing a historic moment: she has risen three places in the rankings, reaching sixth position, the best of her career, and could move up to fourth place if she wins the tournament.
The movements in the rankings do not stop there. Marta Kostyuk, who will face Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals, is on the verge of breaking into the top 10 and can enter that group if she advances to the semi-finals; a triumph at Wimbledon could elevate her to sixth place. Paolini, a former world number four, could jump to fifth position, while Linda Noskova and Elise Mertens also have chances of significant ascension, depending on their performances in the upcoming matches.
The conclusion of Wimbledon promises to rewrite the top of women's tennis, with new protagonists emerging and the rankings undergoing significant changes. The battle for the podium is fierce, and the coming days will be crucial in defining the new world order of women's tennis.
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