Thousand Oaks Native Claire Liu Finally Reaches Wimbledon's Third Round, Will Face Coco Gauff

LONDON — Claire Liu packed her bags and checked retired of her London edifice room connected Wednesday greeting earlier heading to nan All England Club.

It was much pragmatism than pessimism — a reality of a qualifier navigating her Wimbledon travel 1 time astatine a time.

But arsenic her fellow reminded her while organizing her luggage: “Just because you’re packing doesn’t mean you’re leaving,” Liu recalled pinch a laugh.

He was right.

The Thousand Oaks autochthonal went connected to triumph her second-round lucifer against 51st-ranked Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey 7-5, 6-3, advancing to nan 3rd information of a Grand Slam for nan first clip successful her master career. She had tried 29 erstwhile times astatine majors, including qualifying rounds, since 2015.

“I was conscionable ace relieved to get done that,” said Liu, noting she had blown a group and a break lead successful nan French Open’s 2nd information past month.

For Liu, who turned 26 successful May, returning to nan manicured lawns of SW19 brings her tennis travel afloat circle. Nine years ago, she captured nan 2017 Wimbledon girls’ singles title — nan first American to do truthful since Chanda Rubin successful 1992 — and was nan No. 1 inferior successful nan world. She still holds fond memories of that heady achievement, including chatting pinch her idol, Roger Federer, astatine nan Wimbledon Champions Ball.

Yet, nan modulation from teenage phenom to master champion has been thing but a linear ascent. When asked if she expected to beryllium successful nan 3rd information of a awesome this precocious successful her profession fixed her inferior success, Liu was candid.

“Younger maine would person believed it much than now,” she said.

That displacement successful position comes aft weathering immoderate sadistic setbacks.

Liu climbed arsenic precocious arsenic No. 52 successful early 2023 but past endured a wrist wounded and took a months-long intelligence wellness hiatus successful 2024 that yet saw her ranking plummet extracurricular nan apical 400 past year.

Currently sitting astatine No. 146, she’s been rebuilding her opinionated by playing a operation of WTA 125 events and ITF tournaments earlier returning to nan main WTA Tour, pinch 2026 stops successful far-flung places from Bahrain to Boca Raton and plentifulness of places successful between.

“My goals haven’t changed, but I deliberation nan accent of really I sewage location really took a toll connected me,” said Liu.

To navigate nan darkness, Liu leaned heavy into some sports psychology and accepted therapy, including EMDR, a method that helps group process traumatic experiences. She besides started a Substack newsletter called “Finding Claire-ity,” wherever she openly chronicles her life and struggles connected nan tour.

The Southern California native, who has trained astatine nan USTA installation successful Carson since she was 9 years aged and resides successful Redondo Beach, besides divided pinch her longtime coach past season, a difficult decision, and hired Clemens Wagner.

The move pursuing nan U.S. Open past twelvemonth is clicking.

“I saw successful her personification who fought a batch of battles wrong herself,” says Austrian-born Wagner, who has a inheritance successful tennis analytics.

Together, they person focused connected keeping an “aggressive undertone” connected nan grass, emphasizing coming to nan nett and squeezing nan astir retired of her game.

Wagner notes that nan 5-foot-7 player’s crippled isn’t nan flashiest, but describes her arsenic a “silent killer” who excels astatine “redirecting pace, opinionated adjacent to nan baseline, perpetually putting unit connected her opponents.”

The reboot is starting to salary important dividends.

Liu put together her champion agelong successful years this spring, winning a lower-tier title successful Trnava, Slovakia, her first master title since 2024, and past qualifying for nan French Open.

Having again successfully navigated 3 rounds of qualifying to scope nan main tie here, Liu has now won 5 consecutive matches astatine Wimbledon. Not surprisingly, she presently has nary sponsors, conscionable instrumentality support from Head Sport and Asics Corp., making her Wimbledon tally peculiarly lucrative. By reaching nan 3rd round, Liu achieved her highest profession payday: astir $250,000. A triumph Friday would boost that to astir $400,000.

First, she faces her biggest trial yet: a third-round title against two-time awesome champion Coco Gauff connected No. 1 Court, which possibly fittingly is nan aforesaid show tribunal wherever Liu won nan girls’ title almost a decade ago.

Gauff, 22, noted that she and Liu haven’t crossed paths overmuch since Liu is older, but expects a superior battle. Gauff won some of their erstwhile meetings connected difficult courts.

“I consciousness for illustration anytime you’re playing a qualifier, it’s ever reliable because they person 3 matches already,” nan seventh-seeded American said.

Liu, who didn’t moreover cognize she was playing Gauff until a newsman told her aft her match, is purposefully keeping her attraction narrow.

“I will conscionable return coming to beryllium happy for winning, and past tomorrow I’ll deliberation astir it,” Liu said. “Obviously she’s 1 of nan champion players successful nan world correct now, truthful that’ll beryllium a bully experience.”

Veteran Jessica Pegula, 32, nan top-ranked American who besides toiled distant connected nan sport’s little tier earlier becoming a top-10 mainstay, appreciates Liu’s resolve.

“It’s ever bully to spot girls that are figuring it retired slow but surely,” nan No. 4 seed said. “I deliberation I tin subordinate to that.”

Liu’s accommodations? Fortunately, her mother was capable to rebook nan aforesaid edifice aft nan match, which eased immoderate of nan logistical issues for her unexpectedly extended enactment successful London.

“It decidedly makes maine enactment successful nan moment, like, time by day,” Liu smiled of her lodging limbo.

On Wednesday morning, Liu packed her bags expecting she mightiness time off Wimbledon. Instead, she emptied them 1 much time, pinch nan biggest lucifer of her profession still waiting.