COCO GAUFF is set to open her Wimbledon 2025 campaign against Ukrainian star Dayana Yastremska.
The American is flying high following her recent , but may not have it all her own way on Centre Court this afternoon.
Yastremska, 25, is No42 in the rankings – but that barely scratches the surface of her incredible story.
The Odesa-born ace burst onto the scene as a teenager, and has built a huge 216,000-strong following.
Having recently reached the Nottingham final, Yastremska has shown a keen ability to play well on grass... despite being allergic to the green stuff!
During her Nottingham run, the 5ft 7in star said: “I really love playing on grass, even though I think I have a bit of an allergy to grass!
“I’m very excited, and I was proud of myself. In general everything worked pretty well.”;
Yastremska, who has plenty of , has had to contend with the devastating effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In February 2022, the star was forced to alongside her younger sister in the wake of the invasion.
Having been as high as No21 in the world, Yastremska had been attempting to rebuild her ranking at the time following a doping scare.
In 2021 she was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance – but six months later she was allowed to play again after an independent tribunal ruled that there had been a contamination.
As she fled war, Yastremska posted an emotional picture of herself alongside sister Ivanna, captioning it: “After spending two nights in the underground parking, my parents made a decision at any cost to send me and my little sister out of Ukraine.
“Mom, Dad, we love you very much, take care of yourself!!! I love you my country! Ukrainians take care of your lives.”;
Yastremska has since served as an inspiration on tour, defying the immense difficulties back home to rebuild her career.
Last year she reached the semi-finals of the as a qualifier, while this year she has reached finals in Linz and Nottingham.
Off court, Yastremska keeps herself busy with plenty of hobbies.
The Yonex athlete has posted glamorous modelling shots on Instagram, while she also released two singles in 2020.
Entitled Thousands of Me and Favourite Track, Yastremska used her time off during the Covid-19 pandemic to channel her passion for music.
Yastremska also loves to travel, a handy trait for a player on the WTA Tour.
She has posted several pictures of herself at various tourist hot-spots, including Rome’s Trevi Fountain, Miami Zoo and Monte Carlo.
Yastremska and Gauff have so far met three times, with the reigning Roland Garros champion having won each match.
The Ukrainian did win a 6-0 set against the American in Madrid earlier this year, however, with Gauff eventually coming back to win a war of attrition on her way to the final.
