Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva - US Open Tennis Prediction and Pick 8/26/24

Coco Gauff will begin her title defense on the opening day of the 2024 US Open inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium. It will be her first match since that historic success 12 months ago when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka for the title.

But unlike last year, her form has been dire in the build-up to the US Open. She lost in the round of 16 in Toronto to Diana Shnaider and Yulia Putintseva in Cincinnati, where she failed to defend her title. That loss cost her a top-two seeding in New York. Up next for the 20-year-old is another Russian-born player.

Varvara Gracheva is currently ranked 66th in the world rankings, although she has been ranked as high as No. 39 before. This is her fifth main draw appearance at the US Open. She reached the third round in 2020 and 2021 but has lost her opening match in each of her last two US Opens.

The Frenchwoman's best result at a major was in reaching the fourth round of this year's Roland Garros. Like Gauff, she has lost her last two matches on hard courts, but there can be no denying that she played pretty well in a three-set defeat to Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati.

Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva Head-To-Head

• Gauff leads Gracheva 1-0 in their head-to-head. She defeated the French player in straight sets when they met in Auckland earlier this year.

Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva Prediction

Gauff has a lot to prove for the next two weeks after losing three of her last four matches. But this is New York, where she can expect to draw a lot of energy and excitement from the home fans, who certainly played their part in carrying her to the title last year. I'll be shocked if this doesn't end as lopsided as their first meeting in Auckland.