Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin Prediction Australian Open Tennis Picks 1/13/25

Coco Gauff is the joint second favorite to win the 2025 Australian Open and this is probably her best run of form coming to Melbourne this year.

Gauff was part of the USA team that won its second United Cup in the opening week of the season in Sydney. She won five singles matches, all in straight sets, including a potentially decisive third career victory over Iga Swiatek in the final of the tournament.

That win has certainly shaken the markets, with Gauff now tying Swiatek in second place (+400) behind Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open.

The American's best-ever result at Melbourne Park was reaching the last four 12 months ago where she lost to eventual champion Sabalenka in straight sets.

Sofia Kenin Preview

To begin with, Gauff will take on a familiar name in Sofia Kenin. They are both Americans and Grand Slam champions, but their careers have taken different paths since they won their first majors.

Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open and ascended to a career-high ranking of No. 4. But with only 52 match wins at tour level since 2021, it's one of the biggest falls from grace by the 26-year-old.

There were hints that Kenin was slowly getting back to the top of women's tennis in the last couple of years garnering wins over Gauff, Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina, Ons Jabeur, and Katie Boulter and knocking on the door of the top 30. But it proved to be a false dawn.

Her ranking has since fallen to No. 81 as she prepares for her eighth Australian Open main draw.

Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin Head-To-Head

• Gauff and Kenin have met three times at the WTA level.

• Kenin surprisingly leads the head-to-head 2-1.

• Kenin won her two matches at Grand Slam level at the 2020 Australian Open and 2023 Wimbledon.

• Gauff's only win in the series was in Auckland.

Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin Prediction

In seven previous visits to the Australian Open, Kenin has lost in the first round four times. But the spate of early exits sandwich her glorious tennis moment when she won this tournament five years ago. In the time after winning her only major title, Kenin has had a forgettable four years. 

Still, not many people will be underestimating her chances given her knack for flipping the script against the WTA's elite. She leads the h2h against Gauff winning both of their two Grand Slam matches including that memorable first-round upset at 2023 Wimbledon. Could this be a lot closer than what the odds suggest? Potentially, but Gauff gets this done in straight sets.