Before Wimbledon began, Coco Gauff reflected on the significance of her breakthrough performance at the place six years ago - a run to the fourth round at age 15 - and what aspirations she harbored as she prepared to return.
"Even when I see videos of me during that time, it just doesn't feel like it's me. It felt like a dream. I'll always have special memories from that run and, I guess, it definitely fueled the belief that I can be on tour and live out my dream," she told The Associated Press.
"It's something that always holds a special place in my heart. Obviously, I would love to win this tournament just for it to be like a full-circle moment," she continued. "I feel like it would be like the start of the dream, and - I don't want to say 'the finish,' because I obviously have a lot of career left, but - a full-circle type of situation."
A week after that conversation, the No. 2-ranked Gauff was out of the bracket at the All England Club in the first round with a 7-6 3, 6-1 loss to unseeded Dayana Yastremska at No. 1 Court on Tuesday night. Gauff was undone by serving troubles, including nine double-faults, and more than two dozen unforced errors in all, not to mention Yastremska's hard, flat groundstrokes.
It was an abrupt, and mistake-filled, exit for Gauff, who so recently earned her second Grand Slam title - at the French Open via a three-set victory over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.