Katie Boulter admitted she had a bad day at the office after being dumped out of Wimbledon by teenage qualifier Tyra Caterina Grant.
The British number two was beaten in straight set by 18-year-old Italian Grant, ranked 172 in the world.
Boulter was Britain’s biggest hope of success this fortnight following Monday’s 10-player wipeout and the withdrawals of Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.
But the 29-year-old was blown away by the fearless youngster, losing 6-4 6-2 in just an hour and six minutes.
Reflecting on her first round-one exit since 2017, she said: “Not a good day at the office.
“It’s not how I wanted to start, but I have to give credit to her. She’s a young girl who’s swinging, playing some fearless tennis.
“I think she served incredibly well. I think ultimately for me she disrupted my rhythm the best she possibly could.
“I didn’t get a break-point chance, and I have played a lot of the best servers on the tour. And I couldn’t read her serve, I couldn’t understand where it was going.
“I think she played extremely well in the moment. She was fearless. She just kept going for it.
“I think that’s what these 18-year-olds are so good at doing. They just get after it.
“She seems like a very good player and has a good head on her as well. Full credit to her for firstly qualifying, and winning three matches is not easy. But then to play a great match today, she’s clearly up and coming.”
Grant making her grand slam debut, trained with Jannik Sinner as a child and cites Serena Williams as her inspiration.
“I think something that immediately pops the eye is how aggressive Serena is,” she said.
“Every match, every point depends on her. She’s obviously a huge hitter, huge serve, huge presence on court. I think that really inspired me.
“I see myself a lot in little things that she does. I always try to dictate the point, always try to put pressure to your opponent. Growing up, I really looked up to her on that. I think that was huge.
“Since I started playing, it was ‘Serena, Serena, Serena’. I’m glad she’s here. I’m glad also today I could play so well.”
Read MoreWimbledon 2026 LIVE: Serena Williams returns as Iga Swiatek survives major scare
What time is Serena Williams playing at Wimbledon today?
Arthur Fery confronted by opponent in fiery Wimbledon clash: ‘Be honest!’
