Coco Gauff arrived in Miami needing a significant turnaround after early exits in Doha, Dubai, and Indian Wells. She achieved precisely that, dismantling Sofia Kenin 6-0, 6-0 in her opening match. Benefiting from her proximity to her hometown of Delray Beach and familiarity with Miami’s conditions, Gauff appears poised for a deep run, with a leading American tennis voice predicting her victory.

On March 21st, former pros Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Stevie Johnson discussed their Miami Open predictions on the latest edition of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast. Sock was all in on Gauff.

He said, “I’m gonna go with Coco Gauff to have a breakout. Finally, we get some results from Coco…Huge fan of her. She’s got to put some results together at some point, and it’s going to be here. It’s going to be Miami. She’s a South Florida resident, I think, and trains down here—so close to home, comfortable. Winning the tournament, all right. Comfortable. She’s going to win.”

For the World No.3, Miami is more than just another tournament. It’s personal. This is where her tennis journey began, with hours spent on the public courts at Pompey Park. Despite her deep connection to the city, she doesn’t feel extra pressure playing here. Speaking to MiamiOpen.com, she explained her mindset and said,

“I don’t think it’s pressure for me regarding playing here or somewhere else. There’s going to be people supporting me. I’ve always had to play tough players here. It’s a tough tournament coming off the part of the season with four 1000s in a row. It’s a bit difficult but I feel really refreshed. Even though I lost early at Indian Wells it’s kind of giving me more time to hopefully get better and have a successful week here.”

She looked refreshed, all right. The 21-year-old entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, earning a first-round bye. In the second round, she faced Kenin, a player she had split four previous matches with. On paper, it was supposed to be competitive. In reality, it was anything but. Gauff dominated every department.

She won 71% of her service points and 75% of her return points. She faced just one break point, committed only two double faults, and never let Kenin settle. It was a stark contrast to her struggles earlier in the season.

Back in February, she went 0-2 in Doha and Dubai, racking up 21 double faults in her first match at Indian Wells. Against Belinda Bencic, she lost control of her forehand when it mattered most. But in Miami, she looked like a different player.

Up next? A familiar foe—Maria Sakkari.

Coco Gauff to clash with Maria Sakkari in the third round

For the second tournament in a row, Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari will face off in the third round. The two played at Indian Wells, where the American tennis star won 7-6 (1), 6-2. Despite that recent result, Sakkari still holds a 5-4 edge in their head-to-head. Like Gauff, she has had a rocky start to 2025. In her last three tournaments—Dubai, Merida, and Indian Wells—she struggled, exiting early in all of them.

The Greek tennis player opened her Miami campaign with a hard-fought win over Lucia Bronzetti. It took three sets, but Sakkari got through, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. While her recent form isn’t promising, she has a solid track record in Miami. In 2021, she made the semifinals, losing to Bianca Andreescu. Last year, she reached the quarters before falling to Elena Rybakina.

Meanwhile, Gauff has never gone beyond the fourth round here. But if her opening-round performance is any indication, she’s locked in. This could be the week she rewrites that history. Will Coco Gauff take another step toward her first Miami Open title? What do you think?