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First Post
17 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
Wimbledon 2025 sets a new record as seeded players make a beeline for in first two days
The first two days of the 2025 Wimbledon have witnessed a record number of seeded players crash out of Wimbledon, including Alexander Zverev and recently-crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff in the men's and women's singles respectively. read more Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff are two of the biggest names to crash out in the opening round of Wimbledon. AP Wimbledon 2025 is off to quite the tumultuous start; defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova have advanced to the second along with other top names such as Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner. The opening round of the lone grass-court Grand Slam, however, has also witnessed a record number of seeded players crash out in the first round, which certainly makes the things interesting at SW19 and could lead to a breakthrough performance from a relatively unfancied player or two. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How many seeded players have crashed out out in the first round of Wimbledon? While the aforementioned names progressed to the second round, men's third seed Alexander Zverev and women's second seed Coco Gauff – who had recently defeated Sabalenka to win her maiden French Open last month – are among the biggest names crashing out of the tournament in the opening round. ❌ Zverev (3) ❌ Musetti (7) ❌ Rune (8) ❌ Medvedev (9) ❌ Cerundolo (16) ❌ Humbert (18) ❌ Popyrin (20) ❌ Tsitsipas (24) ❌ Shapovalov (27) ❌ Bublik (28) ❌ Michelsen (30) ❌ Griekspoor (31) ❌ Berrettini (32) Equalling the all-time record for most seeds to lose in Round 1… — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 1, 2025 While Zverev suffered a marathon 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 defeat at the hands of France's Arthur Rinderknech, two-time Grand Slam winner Gauff lost to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska 7-6(3) 6-1. The trio of Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, seeded seventh to ninth in the men's singles draw, also crashed out of the third Major of the year, as did third seed Jessica Pegula, fifth seed Qinwen Zheng and ninth seed Paula Badosa from women's singles among others. Why is this number significant? Wimbledon has witnessed a new record just two days into a brand new season – that of the most top-seed exits in the first round. Eight of the top-10 seeds from the men's and women's singles draw have failed to advance to the second, which according to Opta is the highest at a Grand Slam in the 'Open Era'. "It's the win of her career." No.1 Court is stunned as Dayana Yastremska defeats No.2 seed Coco Gauff 7-6(3), 6-1 😲#Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As for the overall count, the men's singles draw witnessed 13 seeds bow out in the first round – the highest since 32 seeds were introduced in the grass-court Grand Slam in 2001. The number in the women's singles draw stands at nine – making it a total of 22 seeded players crashing out of Wimbledon after the first round.
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
STAT ALERT: How Wimbledon 2025 is now officially off to the most upset-filled start in Open Era as Gauff, Zverev, Pegula head out
On Monday, there were signs that this was not normal. On Tuesday, it became official. Wimbledon 2025 is now statistically off to the craziest start in the history of Grand Slams in the Open Era as more seeds – and really high ones at that – stumbled on the second day in London at SW 19. With the exits of second seed Coco Gauff, and third seeds Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev among others, a total of EIGHT top-10 seeded players have been eliminated across the men's and women's singles draws in the opening Round. Here's a look at the Top-10 Seeds knocked out in opening round: Women's singles – Coco Gauff [2], Jessica Pegula [3], Qinwen Zheng [5], Paula Badosa [9]; Men's singles – Alexander Zverev [3], Lorenzo Musetti [7], Holger Rune [8], Daniil Medvedev [9] According to Opta, this is now the highest tally for top-10 seeds knocked out in the first round in a single Grand Slam event in the Open Era. In the men's singles draw, a total of 13 of the men's seeds have fallen at the first hurdle — a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001. In the women's singles draw, a total of nine seeds have been sent home already. American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph, was the day's most surprising casualty, losing 7-6(3) 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day. Yastremska, who also dabbles in music and dropped two singles during the pandemic ('Thousands of Me,' followed by a dance bop number, titled 'Favorite Track'), was too good for the French Open champion. Gauff, on a surface where she famously announced herself by beating Venus Williams at 15 but struggled since, looked uncomfortable under the roof on Court One and failed to find any serving rhythm as she succumbed 7-6(3) 6-1 to Ukrainian world No 42. Gauff was eager to give her big-hitting opponent credit for the win but said she would probably change her tactics in future during the three weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. 'I just feel like the surface I maybe could have used more matches. It's like finding the puzzle,' the American said. 'It's a quick turnaround, so I think just trying to learn on whether it's better to train more and maybe play Bad Homburg or Eastbourne. I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards (from Roland Garros), so I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it. I have faith that if I can make these adjustments, I can do well here. I'm trying to be positive. After the match, I definitely was struggling in the locker room. I don't like losing. I really do want to do well here. I'm not someone who wants to write myself off grass this early in my career, but I definitely need to make changes if I want to be successful here,' Gauff said, as she wiped away tears. The women's draw is now without three of its top five seeds after number five Zheng Qinwen of China, the Olympic champion, suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round defeat, beaten 7-5 4-6 6-1 by Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. 'I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better (on grass),' Zheng said. 'The problem is the first match for me is complicated.' Germany's Alexander Zverev was the most notable men's casualty, the third seed losing 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 to France's Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Monday and was locked at one set apiece overnight. 'I'm not sure he's ever played a match like that in his life,' said Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts. ''I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do,' Zverev said in the post-match press conference. 'It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well. I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It's something else that I have to find within me at the moment. But something within me has to change, which is not necessarily on the tennis court. Maybe for the first time in my life I'll probably need (therapy). It's funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I don't know. It's difficult to find joy outside the tennis court for me at the moment.' Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seventh, was bundled out on Court Two by Nikoloz Basilashvili — the same court where earlier American women's third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. After seven British players won singles matches on Monday — a professional era record at Wimbledon — home fans had more to cheer on Tuesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation's big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina's Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2 6-2 2-1. In total, 10 British players have reached round two. Many will lament the exit of Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th. The Kazakh showman is guaranteed entertainment with his array of trick shots but he was unable to avoid the exit door, as he was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2. Late in the day yet another seed fell when Frenchman Ugo Umbert was beaten by veteran countryman Gael Monfils, again defying his 38 years to edge a five-setter. Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was in strife, but survived against promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala but after a slow start she found her form to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year's surprise triumph. 'I mean, what the hell (kind of tennis) she played in the first set?' laughed Krejcikova, praising her opponent. Amid all the upsets, how about this for another stat? Novak Djokovic continued his streak of never losing in the opening round at Wimbledon starting from his debut in 2025. The Serb closed out the day's action on the main showcourt by getting past Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-1 6-7(7) 6-2 6-2 despite being hampered by a stomach bug midway through his match. Unlike Carlos Alcaraz who was on the brink of joining the list of upsets, world No 1 Jannik Sinner stayed ice cool to move serenely into the second round, including a bagel set. He never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0. (With agency inputs)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joao Pedro's unappreciated qualities
Chelsea are expected to make a £60m acquisition of Joao Pedro, helped in part by the healthy funds brought in from taking part in the Club World Cup. Their likely new signing brings some interesting dimensions. The radar chart below, using Opta data via compares Joao Pedro's performance against fellow Premier League forwards - and the results are quietly impressive. Advertisement To understand the significance of this graphic, it is important to unpack what "percentile" means. Each stat shows how a player compares to others in his position. So, if Pedro sits in the 80th percentile for a certain metric, it means he has performed better in that area than 80% of Premier League forwards. It is a relative measure - not raw totals, but performance in context. And with that in mind, Joao Pedro excels in certain areas. [BBC] He ranks particularly highly for fouls drawn that lead to a goal, a sign of his sharp intelligence and ability to manipulate defenders in the final third. For a Chelsea side that struggled to unlock defences last season, Joao Pedro's knack for inviting pressure in dangerous areas and turning it into goalscoring chances could prove invaluable. Advertisement His contribution to shot-creating actions (SCA) also stands out. This metric counts the two attacking actions leading to a shot, such as a key pass or dribble. Pedro ranking highly here suggests he is regularly involved in build-up, whether drifting into pockets of space or linking play with midfield runners. That skilset fits a fluid, possession-oriented system. His goals minus xG - a metric that compares actual goals scored with expected goals - is also well above average. This indicates a forward capable of finishing at a level above the norm, whether through superior technique or instinctive play in tight spaces, with the caveat being there is room for regression here. Meanwhile, his percentile in progressive passes received demonstrates his ability to stretch opposition defences and become a dynamic option between the lines - something Chelsea have often lacked in transition phases. While his shot on target percentage sits slightly below elite levels, perhaps this is a trade-off for being involved across different phases of the attack. Pedro is not merely a finisher - rather he's a facilitator, disruptor, and spatially intelligent forward who enhances those around him. Advertisement In short, the data shows why Chelsea were willing to pay a premium. Pedro is not just a £60m investment in goals - he is a player who embodies the modern, multi-functional forward, and could quickly become a central figure in Enzo Maresca's attacking blueprint.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Is Guehi a good fit for Liverpool?
Liverpool are monitoring Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi ahead of a potential summer move, BBC Sport understands - and the data backs up why he's on the Reds' radar. As head coach Arne Slot begins to shape the squad in his image, defensive reinforcements are firmly on the agenda. Guehi, 24, has emerged as one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League, and his statistical profile for the 2024-25 season underscores his suitability for Liverpool's system. The chart below, powered by Opta data via provides a percentile breakdown of Guehi's 2024/25 Premier League performances compared with other defenders. But what exactly does "percentile" mean? In simple terms, a percentile ranks how a player compares to others in the same position. For example, if Guehi ranks in the 90th percentile for passes blocked, that means he performed better in that category than 90% of Premier League defenders. It's a way of assessing performance in context, not just raw numbers. He ranks in the 97th percentile for passes blocked, showing a sharp reading of the game and ability to get in the way of forward play - a key requirement for a centre-back in a pressing, front-foot system like Liverpool's. With the team often defending higher up the pitch, having centre-backs who can anticipate and intervene early is also performs strongly in dribble challenges and tackles won, both sitting well above the league average. These are core traits for a Liverpool defender, particularly in scenarios where the high line is exposed and one-on-one defending becomes make-or-break. The "errors" metric, referring to mistakes leading to shots or goals, is also reassuring, with Guehi ranking well here, reflecting his composure under pressure. In a system that places demands on centre-backs to operate in isolation or in transition, his calm decision-making is a significant plus. One area of development remains aerial and physical duels, as reflected in his percentile for challenges lost, but even this is context-sensitive. Palace's compact shape can skew defensive numbers when compared to Liverpool's expansive setup, and Guehi's intelligence in choosing when to engage often offsets any perceived physical Jarrell Quansah reportedly on his way to German giants Bayer Leverkusen, and Ibrahima Konate struggling with injuries, Guehi represents a Premier League-proven option with immediate upside and long-term value.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Joao Pedro's unappreciated qualities
Chelsea are expected make a £60m acquisition of Joao Pedro and as our previous post explains, the Blues are bringing in healthy funds from taking part in the Club World likely new signing brings some interesting dimensions. The radar chart below, using Opta data via compares Joao Pedro's performance against fellow Premier League forwards - and the results are quietly understand the significance of this graphic, it's important to unpack what "percentile" means. Each stat shows how a player compares to others in his position. So, if Pedro sits in the 80th percentile for a certain metric, it means he has performed better in that area than 80% of Premier League forwards. It's a relative measure - not raw totals, but performance in in context, Joao Pedro excels. He ranks particularly high in fouls drawn that lead to a goal, a sign of his sharp intelligence and ability to manipulate defenders in the final third. For a Chelsea side that struggled to unlock defences last season, Joao Pedro's knack for inviting pressure in dangerous areas and turning it into goal-scoring chances could prove contribution to Shot-Creating Actions (SCA) also stands out. This metric counts the two attacking actions leading to a shot, such as a key pass or dribble. Joao Pedro ranking highly here suggests he is regularly involved in the build-up to attacking moves, whether drifting into pockets of space or linking play with midfield runners - an ideal fit for a fluid, possession-oriented goals minus xG - a metric that compares actual goals scored with expected goals - is also well above average. This indicates a forward capable of finishing at a level above the norm, whether through superior technique or instinctive play in tight his percentile in Progressive Passes Received shows his ability to stretch opposition lines and present as a dynamic option between the lines - something Chelsea have often lacked in transition his Shot on Target percentage sits slightly below elite levels, that seems a trade-off for the kind of multi-phase involvement Joao Pedro offers. He's not just a finisher - he's a facilitator, disruptor, and spatially intelligent forward who enhances those around short, the data shows why Chelsea were willing to pay a premium. Joao Pedro isn't just a £60m investment in goals - he's a player who embodies the modern, multi-functional forward, and could quickly become a central figure in Enzo Maresca's attacking blueprint.
