In a shocking Wimbledon upset, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula was ousted in the first round by 116th-ranked Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who celebrated her historic victory like it was a pizza party in Italy.

Cocciaretto's stunning win not only marks the first time an Italian woman has defeated a top 3 seed at Wimbledon in the Open Era but also plunges Pegula into a sea of disappointment as she reflects on her uncharacteristically lackluster performance—hitting only five winners and racking up 24 unforced errors—leading many to wonder if she should have just ordered a pizza instead of taking to the court.

The match lasted just 58 minutes, a time frame that might be more fitting for a speed-eating contest than a Grand Slam showdown. In an unexpected turn of events, the typically consistent Pegula saw her bid for Wimbledon glory come to a screeching halt. This early exit marks her first round loss at a Grand Slam in five years—definitely not the trajectory she was hoping for, especially after claiming the title at the Bad Homburg tournament only a week earlier.

Prior to this upset, Pegula was riding high, defeating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final. But alas, the tennis gods can be capricious, and perhaps they had a couple of bad slices of court in mind for Pegula. Her performance against Cocciaretto was reminiscent of her earlier struggles, as she last bowed out in the first round of a Grand Slam back at the 2020 French Open. It seems like every so often, the universe nudges players gently—or, in Pegula's case, shoves her off a cliff dressed as a tennis match.

Cocciaretto couldn't believe her good fortune, describing the victory as a dream come true. She graciously noted Pegula as an ‘unbelievable player’ and a ‘great example’ during her post-match interview, which left Pegula a little uneasy as it is always disheartening to be praised while shuffling off the court with a heavy heart. At least Cocciaretto’s win brought with it a sprinkle of history; she is now the first Italian woman to beat a top 3 seed at Wimbledon. You could say she made a slice of history instead of pizza – but both options seem equally delicious right now.

Pegula took a moment to gather her thoughts after the match, admitting that this could very well be her worst result of the year. High stakes and pressure can do strange things to athletes, and perhaps this one fell victim to a ‘could-have-won-if-only’ mentality. With 24 unforced errors adding to her woes, the match reflected more frustration than finesse. Perhaps she got lost in thought while strategizing her next victory, but mistakenly signed up for a comedy of errors instead.

In comparison to her foes, Pegula's struggles seem like a case of mistaken identity. Having reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon just last year, expectations were decidedly higher this time around. Instead, Pegula found herself facing the reality of tennis' unpredictable nature, which is as fickle as a cat deciding which cardboard box to inhabit. As she left the green grass of the All England Club, one couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for a player who, just a week ago, stood triumphant in a different tournament.

Interestingly, this was Pegula's only first-round loss at Wimbledon, with the previous one occurring during her debut in 2019. The landscape of championships is littered with tales of talented players stumbling upon their own feet, and Pegula had hoped to avoid adding her name to this sad anthology. Instead, the match will become a literary footnote in her biography: 'Once Upon a Time at Wimbledon!', featuring her at the center stage, only to be usurped by a Cinderella story from Italy.

As the dust settles on this upset, fans are left marveling at the unpredictability of tennis. One match can solidify a player’s status and the next, serve as a painful reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. In the illustrious words of Cocciaretto, for every victorious underdog story, there lies a disappointed favorite—perhaps just looking for pizza.