Hold your breath! We’re all set for the all-American clash at the Rod Laver Arena on Monday (January 13). Coco Gauff will face Sofia Kenin in the first round (R128) of the 2025 AO. Shortly after his emphatic victory over Iga Swiatek at the 2025 United Cup, Gauff was heard saying, “I have the belief that I’m one of the best players in the world. And when I play good tennis, I’m hard to beat.” Can the 2020 Australian Open champion surprise the tennis world with a win against the current world number 3?

Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin: Preview

Last year, Coco Gauff started the season with a bang! She won the ASB Classic and then went on to make it to the semis at the 2024 AO. She even reached the SF of the French Open, but over there she was defeated by the ‘Queen of Clay’, Iga Swiatek. Coco Gauff had to wait a bit to clinch her second title of the 2024 season. She defeated Karolina Muchova (CZE) in the final of the China Open, before ending the season with another title at the WTA Finals. In 2025, she won five out of her five matches at the 2025 United Cup. Gauff is entering this match following her impressive 6-4,6-4 victory over the Pole in that tournament. Can she make a winning start to her campaign in Melbourne?

Sofia Kenin has struggled a bit with her consistency over the last few years. Her best record in the 2024 season came at the Japan Open where she reached the final. Kenin was defeated by China’s Qinwen Zheng in that match. After that, she also made it to the QF at the Hong Kong Open. Apart from these two, her performances have been pretty ordinary last year. She started her 2025 season by reaching the R16 of the ASB Classic and then, after that, she reached the QF at the Hobart International. Sofia Kenin was defeated by Australia’s Maya Joint in that QF match. 

Gauff vs Kenin: Head-to-Head

Coco Gauff has faced her compatriot, Sofia Kenin three times in her career. Guess who is currently leading the H2H scoreline? Well, interestingly, it’s Kenin who’s currently having a 2-1 edge over the 20-year-old American superstar in their H2H record!

• 2023 Wimbledon R128: Kenin 6-4,4-6,6-2.
• 2023 Auckland R16: Gauff 6-4,6-4.
• 2020 Australian Open R16: Kenin 6(5)-7,6-3,6-0.

Prediction: Gauff to win in straight sets

Well, considering the form Coco Gauff has been in the last few months, it’s really hard to pick someone else against her so early in such a mega event. She might be 20 years old, but she knows how to step up on these big occasions! The 2023 US Open is a prime example of it. So, this is going to be the battle of two former Grand Slam champs. Gauff is on the rise, while Kenin looked a bit shaky in the last few years. She failed to live up to the expectations of her fans. Will 2025 be the year in which we’ll see that vintage version of Sofia Kenin?

Well, it could be but still beating Gauff at the moment is a mammoth task! Kenin’s luck hasn’t favored her in the last couple of years at the AO. Last time, got eliminated after her first-round defeat to Iga Swiatek, and this time, she’s going to face the world number 3 in her very first match. If we take a look at their numbers from the previous season, Coco Gauff (3) had a win-loss record of 54-17, while Sofia Kenin (74) had a win-loss record of just 14-22. Kenin might have an edge in the H2H record, but we feel that’s not enough to keep her ahead of Gauff in this epic battle!

Now, if we take a look at their playing styles, Sofia Kenin loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Her wide range of shots and incredible drop shots are two things that separate her a lot from other players. Apart from that, Kenin loves playing from the baseline and can hit winners with both her forehand and backhand. Interestingly, she excels at disguising whether her backhand is going cross-court or down the line. Sofia Kenin loves keeping her opponents guessing! Her biggest weapons are her inside-in-forehand and her backhand-down-the-line. Even her slice forehands are quite exceptional.

On the other hand, Coco Gauff is known for her incredible athleticism and excellent defensive game. She’s a “fighter” on the court and can generate some real power behind her shots. Apart from that, Gauff can also mix up her shots pretty well and has the ability to win longer rallies. However, despite being a big server, Coco Gauff has had some issues with her serves in the last few months. Her major weakness has been her high number of double fault counts.

Do you know Gauff hit 250 aces last season and committed nearly 430 double faults? However, even Sofia Kenin’s major weakness has been her serve. She hit just 57 aces last season and committed 126 double faults! So, both these players need to keep a check on this in this epic battle. However, talking about the winner, well Coco Gauff looks the clear favorite at the moment!