US Open 2024: Coco Gauff's projected path to the final ft. potential SF clash vs. Aryna Sabalenka
Defending champion Coco Gauff will look to replicate her success at the 2024 US Open by winning the title for a second consecutive year. Gauff proved her credentials as a top player on the WTA Tour by winning her maiden Major at 19 years old.
Gauff won the title in Auckland earlier in the year and reached the semifinal of the Australian Open where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. In the clay-court season, the World No. 3 reached the semifinal at Roland Garros in the singles but won her maiden Grand Slam Doubles title at the event with Katerina Siniakova. In the third Slam of the year, Gauff lost to Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Since then, the American's form has wavered as she lost in the third round of the Olympics to Donna Vekic. The former World No. 2 also lost in the early rounds at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open which subsequently saw her drop to No. 3 in the rankings.
Even though Gauff's recent form is cause for concern, the 20-year-old remains one of the top favorites for the title in New York. Let's look at the potential opponents she will have to face at the 2024 US Open:
Coco Gauff's 1R opponent - Varvara Gracheva
Gauff will take on Varvara Gracheva in the opening round at the 2024 US Open. The Frenchwoman has a 23-20 record in 2024. She last played at the Cincinnati Open, losing to top seed Iga Swiateek in the second round after a tight three-set match.
The World No. 66 also had a decent run at the French Open where she reached the Round of 16, losing to Mirra Andreeva. Gracheva also had a decent result at the ASB Classic where she reached the quarterfinal, losing to Gauff.
The match at the ASB Classic remains the only encounter between Gauff and Gracheva on the tour, giving Gauff a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head.
Coco Gauff's potential 2R opponent - Tatjana Maria
Tatjana Maria of Germany will be Gauff's probable opponent in the second round at the 2024 US Open. Maria last played at the Barranquilla Open, a WTA 125 event, where the German reached the final, losing to Nadia Podoroska.
On the main WTA Tour, Maria's form in 2024 has not been encouraging as she has mostly bowed out in the early rounds of events. Her one notable performance came at the Copa Colsanitas, where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champion Camila Osorio.
Gauff has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head against Maria, with the American winning their only encounter at the ASB Classic last year.
Coco Gauff's potential 3R opponent - Elina Svitolina
Gauff will potentially face her first stern test in her title defense when she takes on Elina Svitolina in the third round. The Ukrainian is currently playing at the Monterrey Open where she is due to play her quarterfinal against Linda Noskova. Overall, the World No. 28 has a 26-15 record in 2024.
Svitolina has already faced off against Gauff once this year when the pair met in the final of the ASB Classic, which the American won 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3.
The Ukrainian has a good record in Majors this year, reaching the fourth rounds at both the Australian Open and the French Open and the quarterfinal at Wimbledon.
The head-to-head between Gauff and Svitolina is 1-1, with the American winning earlier this year. The Ukrainian won against Gauff at the Australian Open in 2021.
Coco Gauff's potential 4R opponent - Emma Navarro/ Marta Kostyuk
Coco Gauff might face compatriot Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the 2024 US Open. Navarro has been in good form in 2024, capturing her maiden WTA title at the Hobart International. She is currently playing at the Monterrey Open where she will face Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinal.
Another probable opponent for Gauff in the fourth round could be 19th-seeded Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine. Kostyuk had successive tournaments where she fared well as she reached the semifinal of the BNP Paribas Open and then backed it up with a run to the final at the Stuttgart Open. She lost to Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina respectively in those matches.
Gauff's head-to-head against Navarro is 1-1, with Navarro winning the last match at this year's Wimbledon. Gauff leads 2-1 in the head-to-head against Kostyuk, but the Ukrainian won the last match at this year's Stuttgart Open.
Coco Gauff's potential QF opponent - Barbora Krejcikova
A potential match against the eighth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova might be on the cards for Coco Gauff. The former World No. 2 last played at the Paris Olympics where she lost against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the quarterfinals.
Apart from her Wimbledon triumph, Krejcikova has had some success on the hardcourts this year. She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the Abu Dhabi Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka and Liudmila Samsonova respectively.
Krejcikova has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head against Guaff, with the Czech player winning their only encounter in her title-winning run at the 2021 French Open.
Coco Gauff's potential SF opponent - Aryna Sabalenka
A rematch of last year's final against Aryna Sabalenka is a possibility for Gauff in the semifinal at the 2024 US Open. The World No. 2 has been in great form in recent weeks as she clinched the Cincinnati Open title, beating Jessica Pegula in the final.
Sabalenka has already bagged a Major this year, successfully defending her Australian Open title without dropping a single set. She also reached successive finals at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open and remains one of the top favorites for the title in New York.
The head-to-head between the two players is 4-3 in favor of Gauff, but Sabalenka won their last match in the semifinal of this year's Australian Open.
Coco Gauff's potential Final opponent - Iga Swiatek
Gauff might face World No. 1 and 2022 US Open champion Iga Swiatek in the final of this year's US Open. With five titles, the Pole has once again distinguished herself as the player to beat on the WTA Tour in 2024. She last played at the Cincinnati Open where she lost to Sabalenka in the semi-final.
Swiatek tasted success on hardcourts earlier in the year. She won the Qatar Open and the BNP Paribas Open after defeating Elena Rybakina and Maria Sakkari respectively in the finals. She also reached the semifinal of the Dubai Tennis Championships where she lost to Anna Kalinskaya.
Gauff has struggled against Swiatek as the Pole has an 11-1 lead in the head-to-head over the American. However, Gauff's solitary victory over Swiatek came on a hardcourt, at last year's Cincinnati Open.