WTA Finals 2023: Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (6) Ons Jabeur
Date: October 31, 2023
Tournament: WTA Finals 2023
Round: Group Stage
Venue: Plaza Quintana Roo, Cancun, Mexico
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $9,000,000
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN
Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur preview
Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff will square off against Ons Jabeur in the group stage of the 2023 WTA Finals on Monday.
Gauff started the season by winning the ASB Classic in Auckland and then advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open. She performed well over the next couple of months. While most of her clay swing was not up to her standard, she salvaged it with a quarterfinal finish at the French Open.
Gauff made it to the semifinals of Eastbourne before Wimbledon, but then lost in the first round of the grasscourt Major. It proved to be a much-needed wake-up call that transformed her results immediately.
Gauff won the Citi Open after that but bowed out of the Canadian Open in the quarterfinals. She then won the biggest title of her career at the Western & Southern Open and one-upped it by going all the way at the US Open.
Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final to reign in New York. Her next tournament was the China Open, where she made it to the semifinals. Her 16-match winning streak was snapped by Iga Swiatek.
Injuries prevented Jabeur from gaining a semblance of momentum for most of the season. The early hardcourt swing was a bust, but the Tunisian got going once the tour moved on to clay. She clinched her first title of the season at the Charleston Open.
Jabeur continued to play well and made it to the semifinals in Stuttgart, but retired from her match due to an injury. She recovered in time and then made it to the last eight at the French Open. The 29-year-old reached the final at Wimbledon for the second year in a row.
Up against Marketa Vondrousova, Jabeur lost to her in straight sets. She was sent packing by Qinwen Zheng in the fourth round of the US Open. Since then, she won the Ningbo Open but didn't win consecutive matches in her four other tournaments.
Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head
Gauff leads Jabeur 3-2 in the head-to-head. The Tunisian won their previous encounter at the 2022 Berlin Open in straight sets.
Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur prediction
Jabeur's fitness remains a matter of concern. She withdrew before her quarterfinal match at the Zhengzhou Open, which was her last tournament before the WTA Finals. If she has recovered completely, she could certainly pose a threat to Gauff.
Their rivalry has been a close one, with Gauff having the edge in their head-to-head at the moment. However, in their previous five meetings, only one of them has been on hardcourts. It was their very first match which took place over three years ago in Lexington and was won by the teenager.
Gauff's newfound stability in her forehand has given her the confidence to plow through the field. Her athleticism remains a key aspect of her game as well. Jabeur's tricks and ability to mix up her shots often put her opponents on the backfoot.
However, based on their recent results, Gauff will have the upper hand in this match-up.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.