"This year, grass and I are good friends," Yastremska relishes her prestigious win against Gauff at Wimbledon

On Tuesday evening, on Court 1, Dayana Yastremska delivered one of the standout performances of the first round at Wimbledon. The Ukrainian, ranked 42nd in the WTA, played at a high level to defeat Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and recent Roland-Garros champion (7-6, 6-1).

Yastremska, a semifinalist at last year's Australian Open, is coming off a strong grass-court season with a final at the WTA 250 in Nottingham and a quarterfinal the following week in Eastbourne. After beating the American for the first time in four meetings, the 25-year-old reflected on her victory on court.

"The first thing I’d like to say is that this court brings back so many great memories for me. I played the Junior final here (lost to Potapova in 2016), so coming back is a special feeling.

I think I played a really great match today—I was on fire. Playing against Coco (Gauff) is always special. We’ve faced each other four times. Well, it’s true she still leads three wins to one.

She’s a very good player and a great person. We have a good relationship. I enjoyed this match to the fullest. These courts are made for the best players. I’m very grateful to be here.

I feel like this year, grass and I are good friends. I was in a conquering mindset, telling myself I could control this match.
Since the draw came out, I’ve just tried to focus as much as possible on what I needed to do and prepare the best I could.

I feel quite comfortable on grass—I’ve played quite a few matches on this surface this year. My goal today (Tuesday) was to step onto the court and be myself.

I wanted to be free in my choices on the court and in how I played. I think I succeeded pretty well in my mission," Yastremska elaborated to *The Tennis Letter* in recent hours.