Coco Gauff has been riding a wave of brilliance lately, and with the Australian Open finally here, the American sensation is ready to make her mark on the season’s first Grand Slam.

Eyes firmly set on the coveted title, Gauff isn’t just relying on wishes to make it happen—it’s all about grit and game. But hold on! The freshly released draw has thrown a curveball her way, and the path to glory looks anything but smooth.

The American tennis sensation is fresh off her victory at the United Cup where she demonstrated remarkable skills to lead her team to the glory. But the latest Australian Open draw is all set to pose some challenges for the star player, especially in the critical stages.  As per the latest draw, Gauff will enjoy a smooth beginning to the tournament. She will play her first match against compatriot Sofia Kenin. While Gauff has lost two of the three encounters against Kenin, the last defeat came in January 2023 and since then, the star player has shown immense growth. Moving forward, she will face either the qualifier or Jodie Anna Burrage for the second time after defeating her in Eastbourne in 2023. But here begins the challenge for the star player.

READ: ‘Craziest’ Minor Moment Leaves Serena Williams Surprisingly Happy in Delightful Fan Update

If Gauff manages to advance to the third round, she will likely face Leylah Fernandez, against whom Gauff holds a 1-0 lead. Movie ahead, she will face either Karolina Muchova or Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. Gauff leads both the players in the head-to-head tally. However, Muchova’s rise in the last season and her tough contest with Gauff in the China Open can pose further difficulties for the star player. And if she manages to overcome this challenge, she will go on to face Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Notably, Pegula leads Gauff 4-2 in the head-to-head tally and has handed her defeat at crucial stages. Be it in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in 2023, or the mega-clash in Berlin last year, Pegula has managed to keep her dominance against the 20-year-old.  However, if she manages to overcome the challenge, Coco Gauff will likely have to face Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the tournament. While Gauff leads the head-to-head tally 5-4, Sabalenka has proven to be a tough competitor for Gauff, especially in last year.

The World No. 1 faced the American giant thrice last year and except for the WTA Finals, she managed to baffle her on all occasions. Point to note: Gauff and Sabalenka met at the Semifinals of the Australian Open last year as well where the American was outshined in straight sets. Besides, the infamous defeat that came for Gauff at the Wuhan Open where she fired 21 double faults, will further boost Sabalenka’s confidence. But guess what? Gauff has the potential to overcome the Belarusian force but despite that the challenges for her will not end. If Gauff manages to reach the finals, she will then have to face Iga Swiatek for the title.

Gauff and Swiatek have faced each other 14 times with the 2023 US Open champion winning only three of the encounters, While she managed to beat Swiatek in the last two matches that came at the WTA Finals and the United Cup, the determination depicted by Pole throughout will definitely pose challenges for Gauff.  But while the challenge is monumental, one thing is clear—this young star isn’t one to back down. And as she gears up for the tournament, Gauff is beaming with confidence.

Coco Gauff has witnessed immense success recently, After winning the China Open and the WTA Finals in Riyad last year, she entered the new season in a dominant form. And true to herself, she showcased impeccable performance at the United Cup, winning all the matches she played. These victories have given immense confidence to the star player and she is completely ready to take on challenges head-on at the Australian Open.

Speaking about the same after the United Cup, Gauff said, “Obviously this start of the season gives me a lot of confidence. “I feel like when I’m playing confident tennis, I’m playing great tennis. I definitely feel confident going into AO.” And it is not just Gauff who is positive of her campaign in Melbourne as experts are also rallying behind her. One such voice is coming from none other than Andy Roddick.

Expressing confidence in Gauff, Roddick made his thoughts clear during the off-season. “She’s going to sleep a lot better this off-season, and her steps are going to be a little bit lighter when she goes into problem-solving. There’s not as much scar tissue from 2024, she’s almost deleted all of it, and I think she’s prepped for a massive year next year.” Now, as the Australian Open unfolds, it will be interesting to see if Gauff can continue her dominance and overcome the challenges.

Coco Gauff is serving up more than just aces—she’s serving looks too!

The tennis star, known for her fiery performances on the court, is proving she’s a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world as well. Her latest look has fans absolutely mesmerized, with social media buzzing over the star’s effortlessly chic style. Adorable reactions are pouring in, with fans praising her flair and confidence

The American tennis sensation witnessed a roller coaster of a season this year. From witnessing early exits to losing on important occasions, Gauff’s initial half of the year did not go as planned. However, she bounced back in style with China Open title and ended her season with a remarkable victory at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Now, the star player is taking some much-deserved break following everything she loves outside the tennis courts, and fashion and hairstyle definitely make it to the list.

READ: What happened when Coco Gauff faced Venus Williams at Wimbledon when she was just 15

The 20-year-old shared a video of herself on Tiktok vibing to music in a white outfit. She can be seen in a different hairstyle than she is usually seen in during her professional tours as she clearly highlights how she is enjoying the off-season. She wrote, “happy dec 1st (im a day late lol).” The look, meanwhile, did not fail to capture the attention of fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Coco Gauff (@cocogauff)

Several fans took to the comment section of the post and shared their heartfelt remarks for the American player. As Gauff continues to enjoy her break, fans seem to admire her beauty as equally as her tennis.

Taking to TikTok, one user wrote, “what I’m trying to figure out is how are you getting prettier by the day.” Gauff is usually seen in braids during her professional endeavors. However, she decided to sport a fresh, chic hairstyle that mesmerized her fans. Remember, the hairstyle came to light soon after the season wrapped for the star player as she decided to let her natural curls shine bright. In an Instagram post earlier Gauff expressed love for her natural hair captioning her picture, “Off szn = new hairrr.” Meanwhile, reactions continued to follow.

Responding to the video, another user wrote, “That’s okay your close. your hair is so beautiful just like the person wearing it. looking forward to another win ❤️❤️❤️.” Coco Gauff has often highlighted how important is her hair to her and the latest look yet again establishes the same. In an interview for Carol’s Daughter in October this year, Gauff highlighted how her hairstyle boosts her confidence. “When you walk on court with a good outfit, and your hair, your braids are fresh and your skin is looking good, then you just feel like ‘Okay I am gonna beat this girl today’,” she said. More such adorable reactions continued to follow.

“U are so pretty🥰🥰,” wrote another user completely mesmerized by Gauff’s latest look. This is not the first time that Gauff’s beauty has received such praise from fans. Ahead of the WTA finals this year, Gauff donned a one-shoulder lavender gown with a leg slit designed by talented Yousef Akbar – highlighted with a sleek bun and minimal earrings. This quickly gained attention from fans who expressed their love for the star player. And interestingly, one such remark came from Tommy Paul’s girlfriend Paige Lorenze, who wrote, “Purple is your color !!! 💜” on Gauff’s post.

One more user joined the fray admiring Gauff’s beauty and wrote, “u look so hot queen.” Remember, when it comes to hair styling, Gauff has expressed her desire to represent the black community. Speaking in an interview, Gauff shared, “When I was young, I committed myself to showcasing Black hairstyles when I play, and that’s something that I take pride in. Whether it’s box braids, twists, or my natural hair, it’s a form of self-expression that I’m really proud of, especially because you still don’t see it very often in our sport.” Now, it seems that her hairstyle is receiving validation from her fans too.

Yet another user showered praises on Gauff and wrote, “love you Coco!” Now, as the break season continues to unfold, it would be interesting to see what else has Coco Gauff in store for her fans.

Coco Gauff’s rise to superstardom began with a shock win at tennis’ most prestigious tournament.

At just 20 years of age, Gauff is one of the WTA Tour’s best players and is a member of the Grand Slam club after winning the 2023 US Open.

She added to her title haul in 2024 by defending the Auckland title at the start of the season, before claiming the China Open title and winning the WTA Finals.

READ: Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian shares post-surgery photos

But Gauff burst on the scene at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where she defeated five-time champion Venus Williams.

In 2019 Venus Williams entered the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships for the 22nd time.

In the opening round she took on Coco Gauff,  who came through the qualifiers aged just 15 and won the junior French Open tournament in 2018.

Despite the promise she showed, many expected the five-time champion at SW19 to seal the win and advance to the next round.

But Gauff had other ideas, as she produced one of the upsets of the season to defeat Williams 6-4, 6-4 in her first Grand Slam main draw appearance.

“I’m just super blessed that Wimbledon decided to give me the wild card,” Gauff said in her post-match press conference. “I mean, I never expected this to happen.

“Obviously I literally got my dream draw, so I’m just super happy I was able to pull it out today. She played amazing, and was just super nice. She’s always been nice the couple times I met her.”

After beating Williams, Gauff’s momentum continued and she went on to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2019.

She defeated Magdaléna Rybáriková and Polona Hercog before losing to Simona Halep in the last 16, who went on to become champion. This was the start of Gauff’s rise up the ranks, as she claimed her first WTA title just three months later in Linz.

Five years later, Gauff is the World number three with a Grand Slam title to her name, and she does not plan on stopping there. “I said this before: I want to be the greatest,” Gauff said after beating Williams.

“My dad told me that I could do this when I was eight. Obviously you never believe it. I’m still, like, not 100% confident, but you have to just say things.

“You never know what will happen. If I went into this match saying, ‘Let’s see how many games I can get against her,’ then I most definitely would not have won. My goal was to play my best. My dream was to win. That’s what happened.”

Coco Gauff says she hired Matt Daly as a coach as she is confident he will help her to become a complete player, adding that it was important to find someone who worked well with Jean-Christophe Faurel.

Following a disappointing North American hard-court swing that saw her fail to defend her Cincinnati Open and US Open trophies, Gauff parted ways with Brad Gilbert on the back of her fourth-round exit from the final Grand Slam of the year in New York.

Gilbert had been part of her team since July 2023 and during that time she won her maiden major, the US Open, and also rose to a career-high No 2 in the WTA Rankings.

READ: Coco Gauff closes in on significant WTA Rankings boost after reaching China Open final

But both parties felt it was time to move on after a disappointing few months as the American slipped to No 6 in the rankings.

Gauff didn’t wait long to replace Gilbert as she added Daly to her team for the Asian swing.

The Daly-Faurel partnership has had instant success as Gauff reached the final of the China Open and following her semi-final win over Paula Badosa, the 20-year-old was asked what her new coach has added to the team.

“What a coach has to offer, I think it depends on what point in your career you’re at, what you’re looking for,” she said. “Obviously right now I’m very young, so I’m looking just for someone to help me develop in the long-term process, try to help make my game as complete as I can be.

“For me, I mean, with the relationship, adding Matt to the team, we literally just started like two weeks ago, so really only had a week to work with training-wise, then we had to come to China and the tournament.

“We’re working on a lot of developmental things. He’s great. Obviously I still have JC on the team. For me, it was trying to find a mix of two people that work together well. So far, I mean, it’s obviously working result-wise.

“Just even behind the scenes and everything you guys don’t see, I think it’s great. I’m happy with my decision regardless if I lost [in the] first round or in a final this week. So yeah, I’m happy to have him on the team. I feel like he’s already making significant progress. He and JC are working well.”

Coco Gauff has earned herself a handy rankings bonus thanks to a hard-fought China Open quarter-final victory on Thursday.

Gauff was not at her best against Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva and failed to hit a winner throughout the entirety of the first set.

However, the world No 6 was able to rally to defeat the surprise quarter-finalist 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach her first WTA semi-final since the Berlin Open back in June.

READ: Ahead of Coco Gauff ‘battle’, Naomi Osaka +15 makes another rankings breakthrough

Victory for Gauff means that she has successfully defended all her ranking points in Beijing, having also reached the last four of the event in 2023.

That is a significant boost for the 20-year-old, who fell out of the top five following her fourth round exit at the US Open.

Failure to defend her ranking points in the Chinese capital would have put her at risk of slipping further down, with world No 7 Zheng Qinwen hot on her heels.

However, Gauff, who holds 4,983 in both the official and live rankings, is now guaranteed to be ahead of Qinwen no matter what happens in Beijing.

The Chinese has 4,075 points in the live rankings, and can only move to a maximum of 4,860 points should she win the title at the WTA 1000 event.

Gauff also now has the opportunity to move back inside the world’s top five should she lift what would be the second WTA 1000 title of her career this weekend.

A run to the title would see the 20-year-old move to 5,593 ranking points, ahead of current world No 4 Elena Rybakina and world No 5 Jasmine Paolini.

Rybakina’s semi-final points from 2023 will drop off after her pre-tournament withdrawal, while Paolini was beaten back in round three.

Gauff has also moved closer to breaking a milestone held by Caroline Wozniacki at WTA 1000 events thanks to victory over Starodubtseva.

The American has now reached seven WTA 1000 semi-finals before turning 21, with Wozniacki’s record of eight -since the format was introduced in 2009 – now in threat.

Gauff could potentially be in line to equal the Dane’s record at the Wuhan Open next week, with WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Doha taking place before her 21st birthday next season.

Up next for Gauff in Beijing is the resurgent Paula Badosa, who ended the epic run of home favourite Zhang Shuai in their quarter-final clash on Thursday.

The Spaniard, once ranked as high as world No 2, is set to return to the top 15 no matter what happens in their upcoming semi-final clash, which will take place on Saturday.

Badosa leads the head-to-head between the two 3-2, though Gauff won their last meeting at the Italian Open back in May.