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Coco Gauff Reaches First Wimbledon Semifinal, Beats Pegula

7/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal after two years without a grass-court win.
The quarterfinal began at 8:30 a.m. ET on Centre Court, with Coco Gauff saying she trusted herself and stopped rushing points.
The win awards Coco Gauff approximately $1.24 million and sets up a semifinal versus Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova.

History

Historical Context

In 2008 Venus Williams captured her fifth Wimbledon singles crown, her seventh Grand Slam overall, after Wimbledon had adopted equal prize money the previous year. Her victory highlighted American success on grass and set a benchmark for U.S. players. In 2024 Coco Gauff became the first American woman since Venus to reach a Wimbledon semifinal, sparking hopes of renewed U.S. dominance.

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Story summary

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal after two years without a grass-court win.
The quarterfinal began at 8:30 a.m. ET on Centre Court, with Coco Gauff saying she trusted herself and stopped rushing points.
The win awards Coco Gauff approximately $1.24 million and sets up a semifinal versus Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova.

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