Coco Gauff has certainly fulfilled tennis legend Lindsay Davenport's prediction, despite her surprise early departure from Wimbledon. The reigning French Open champion was knocked out in the first round after a poor display at the All England Club.

The US sensation tumbled out in the opening round to Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday, becoming one of the most notable exits so far. Gauff fell well below her usual standards against Ukraine's Yastremska, losing in straight sets (7-6, 6-1). The result stunned fans who expected Gauff to build on last month's French Open triumph at Wimbledon. However, the 21-year-old has already measured up to the bold prediction made by former Wimbledon champion Davenport, who once touted the young talent as a future multiple Grand Slam winner.

Gauff entered the spotlight at just 15 years old by toppling Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, eventually making her way to the fourth round. The teenage marvel caught Davenport's eye early on and the three-time major winner was confident that Gauff was destined for greatness.

"It's so great to see another champion coming up. She's going to be a big force in women's tennis," Davenport told the Daily Mail in 2019. "In the future, a multiple Grand Slam champion, I think, though we've got to be realistic about her age and what she can handle.

"She's going to win many. I just think it will take a little bit of time, but she's going to have these big wins along the way until that happens.

In 2023, Gauff validated those expectations by impressively conquering the US Open as a teenager. The American star then fulfilled Davenport's vision of her becoming a multiple Grand Slam winner by overcoming Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final last month. However, Gauff's rapid success will not surprise the former Wimbledon winner.

"At 15 years of age Gauff looks ready, she looks physically and mentally ready," Davenport said in 2019. "It was a joy to watch her compete.

"It was a bigger joy for me to watch her how she handled herself both during the match and in post-match in her comments, in her interviews. She's just a gem and I think it's exciting for everyone to get a taste of what's going to happen the next 5-10 years."

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Despite Gauff's memorable victory over Williams at Wimbledon marking the start of her rise, this is not the first time she has struggled at the tournament. Gauff's loss to Yastremska marks her second first round exit at Wimbledon, where she is yet to go beyond the fourth round. After the defeat, Gauff explained that the quick turnaround from the French Open had contributed to her sub-par performance.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came after [the French Open]," Gauff said during her post-match press conference. "I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.

"I definitely was struggling in the locker room. I don't like losing. I just feel a little bit disappointed in how I showed up today."

In terms of how she plans to improve her Wimbledon record, Gauff said: "I think it's just changing my playing style a little bit, which is difficult. I have faith that if I can make these adjustments, I can do well here. I really do want to do well here."