Subdued Cori Gauff bids farewell to Wimbledon but only for the time being

A dejected Cori "Coco" Gauff after losing to Simona Halep. Picture: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Not just any old trip to London,  England, she sneaked into Wimbledon as a wild card and, for most of us, a complete unknown. By the end of her stay she’d demolished legends, won the hearts of the nation and  infiltrated the language of the championships. Where once the exclamation was “Ooh I say!”, now it’s just as likely to be “Super-great!”.

The 15-year-old bid farewell at 3.47pm with a final forehand drifting wide in the defeat to Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3. It seems significant to record the time because this career looks like being hugely significant. Cocomania has merely paused. She will be back one day to win the title. Even though other teenage sensations have burned out, gone mad or become nuns, and even though these cautionary tales have been re-told as we’ve all gone loco for Coco, it does not seem like an outrageous prediction that she will lift the Rosewater Dish. Merely a statement of the near-inevitable. But that’s all in the future. What memories the whizzkid from Delray Beach, Florida will take home from her first Wimbledon. That sensational entrance and the eclipsing of her idol Venus Williams. That performance against Magdalena Rybarikova which topped it for poise – astonishing in one so young – and the power of her heat-seeking  backhand. That comeback against Polona Hercog from 5-2 and two match points down, sparked by a moment of stunning fearlessness. Even in defeat yesterday there were shots of casual brilliance, the type of which the All-England Club has become rapidly familiar and so keen to adore.

What had Gauff learned from her unscheduled stopover in SW19? “I learned how to play in front of a big crowd, I learned what it was like to be under pressure, I learned a lot and I’m really thankful for this experience,” she said.

The best memory? “Definitely the crowd, like even this match. Even though I wasn’t feeling my best, wasn’t playing my best, they were supporting me no matter what. It was really surprising because you don’t really expect that when you’re in another country. I really did feel like I was playing in New York or some place. They were amazing.”

Court No 1 was where Gauff exploded on to the scene like one of the tournament’s many stray champagne corks and after displaying a few  jitters over on Centre in the previous round, she was probably glad to be back there for what was sure to be a big, grown-up test against Halep, officially the best in the world until quite recently.

And the military personnel pressed into service as stewards had their work cut out to control the long queues of ticket-holders who simply had to see the match and who were disappointed to miss the start, with Gauff walking slowly to her chair, tuned into the inspirational rhymes of Kendrick Lamar, while her proud dad and dancing mom cheered from her box.

First Halep, pictured, broke then Gauff broke back. Both girls were really going for their shots. The Romanian had chances again, two being saved with the kind of devil-may-care that perhaps many 15-year-olds would display but which Gauff has made her own this tournament. Best stat of Wimbledon? She is exactly the average age of the tournament’s  ballkids. But a third opportunity would come Halep’s way and this time it was grabbed. The more experienced girl was beginning to show a ruthlessness that Gauff would ultimately be un- able to live with.

The second set began like the first with a trading of breaks, Gauff’s retaliation being greeted with stand-up applause, the inaugural branch of her fan club believing she would need their backing for the home stretch, though this time it wasn’t enough. A stomach complaint required the doctor and once again Gauff fell 5-2 behind in the second and faced two match points but here there would be no escape, although a gobsmacking pick-up right off her shoelaces was one last reminder of her bountiful talent. For now at least.

The victor praised the new darling of Wimbledon. “It’s huge that she’s played in the fourth round here, a great performance, and I think she’ll be top ten soon,” said Halep.

The last words should go to Gauff: “I had a lot of fun, even today when losing. It’s crazy what’s happened. I mean, Michelle Obama giving me a shoutout – she’s such a role model. Now I’m excited to go home and see my family. I’m super-proud.”

It was super-great having you, Coco – come back any time.