The 43-year-old American, contesting the Wimbledon singles for a record 24th time, still retains the easy power that once made her the queen of Centre Court but succumbed 6-4, 6-3 after a nasty early fall hindered her movement.
Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the 16th time but it proved a hard day's work at his Centre Court office.
After all, he has been champion there twice, is bang in form after a record-stretching 12th French Open, is injury free and last year was a whisker away from reaching the final.
Wimbledon top seed Aryna Sabalenka says she has cleared the air with Coco Gauff after she raised eyebrows with her remarks in the aftermath of her French Open final loss to the American.
Nadal has won the Australian and the French Open back-to-back and has the chance to become the first man to win all four majors in the same year
Pavlyuchenkova beats Kartal to reach last eight despite line-calling glitch
Claycourt specialist Iga Swiatek has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon but the world number one says the transition to slick grass surfaces is becoming a little easier each year.
Alcaraz, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year before winning the US Open on the hard courts of New York, said how well he moves on grass would be key.
13 of the men's seeds fell at the first hurdle -- a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001.
With no standout favourite in the women's field, it could provide an ideal stage for American Serena Williams to finally end her quest for an elusive 24th Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz has been seen as fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal's successor on the Paris clay.
Wimbledon's grass is slower than when Sampras and all the classic serve-volley specialists ruled the roost and, though it still offers a lower bounce than clay or the hard courts that dominate the circuit, it seems that the difference is becoming marginal.
Not since Croatian Goran Ivanisevic beat Australian Pat Rafter in 2001 has there been a final featuring two players adopting the serve-and-volley style once deemed mandatory.
Medvedev outlasts Zverev to reach Halle final
Carlos Alcaraz, 22, reached his eighth Grand Slam semi-final and will continue his quest for a third successive Wimbledon title.
Top seed Aqeel Khan beat second seed Vinod Sridhar in the final to become the first foreigner to win India's hardcourt tennis title.
It was his first tournament win since January and has left the world number four confident of mounting a challenge at Wimbledon, where he has been drawn against Slovakia's Martin Klizan in the first round.
Roger Federer returned to Wimbledon on Sunday to take part in All England Club's special celebration of 100 years of Centre Court.
Swiatek hit 33 unforced errors in a dismal 6-4 6-2 defeat.
Images from Day 4 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Thursday.
Roger Federer has revealed he underwent knee surgery and will be out of action until the summer.
Roger Federer celebrated returning to the top of the world rankings by defeating Milos Raonic in the final of the Stuttgart Open on Sunday and lifting the 98th tour-level title of his garlanded career.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Saturday.
Playing only his second junior Grand Slam, 17-year-old won 7-5, 6-3
Vishal Uppal beat Karan Rastogi to set up a title clash with Rohan Bopanna in National Grass Court championships
With the whiff of a fifth Wimbledon singles title in the air, grass court predator Serena Williams cut down defending champion Petra Kvitova to move ominously into the semi-finals on Tuesday.
While Daniil Medvedev remained the world number one, 2022 Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic dropped to seventh position after the grass-court Grand Slam tournament was stripped of ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players.
The 20-year-old, who reached the Australian Open last four and won titles on clay and indoor hard courts this year, has had a difficult time of it on grass.
Opportunity knocks for Serena Williams on the grass courts of Wimbledon next week when she faces a diminished field on her best surface at the famous All England Club.
Those not familiar with seeing Swiatek close up can expect to see her sliding on Wimbledon's grass, as she does on the clay
Unvaccinated players are not barred from participating in Wimbledon
'During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Tuesday.
Andy Murray will not get another chance to feature on court in his farewell at the Grand Slam.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Wednesday.
Australia's Bernard Tomic thinks he is playing some of the best grasscourt tennis of his career and is in a good place off the court as he heads into the Wimbledon championships main draw for the seventh time.
Hubert Hurkacz showed his Wimbledon credentials on Sunday, hammering world number one Daniil Medvedev
While Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Bjorg, Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer thrived at Wimbledon, the grass surface of the hallowed courts, says Bikash Mohapatra, also proved the graveyard of many other tennis greats.
'Yes, I fall over, but grass sometimes is slippery. Nothing happens. I am good, yeah. Nothing'
Here are some of the reactions to the Grand Slam - originally scheduled for June 29-July 12 - being cancelled for the first time in 75 years.
