Coco Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open
Coco Gauff enters the 2026 Australian Open as the World No. 3 and the third seed. The tournament takes place at Melbourne Park from 18 January to 1 February 2026. Gauff is bidding for her third Grand Slam singles title (following the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open) and her first title in Melbourne.
Background
Previous Year and 2025 Season
Gauff enters 2026 following a successful but mixed 2025 season. Her standout achievement was winning her second major title at the 2025 French Open, where she defeated Iga Świątek in the semifinals en route to the trophy. Later in the year, she captured her tenth career title at the Wuhan Open (WTA 1000).
However, her Grand Slam season also saw disappointments; she failed to defend her US Open title, exiting in the Round of 16, and fell in the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open to Leylah Fernandez. Despite these setbacks, she finished the year ranked World No. 3, maintaining her status as the top-ranked American player.
Preparation
Gauff began her 2026 season representing the United States at the United Cup in Sydney.
- United Cup Performance: The defending champion United States team reached the semifinals but was eliminated by Poland (1–2).
- Key Victory: In the semifinal tie on 10 January, Gauff produced a statement victory by defeating World No. 2 Iga Świątek in straight sets (6–4, 6–2). This marked her fourth consecutive victory over the Polish star, signaling a shift in their historically one-sided rivalry.
- Doubles: The tie was decided in the mixed doubles, where Gauff and partner Christian Harrison lost a tight match to the Polish duo of Jan Zieliński and Katarzyna Kawa.
Analysts have praised Gauff’s improved forehand mechanics and aggressive serving during the Australian summer swing as key improvements for her Melbourne campaign.
Seedings
Gauff is the No. 3 seed for the tournament.
- No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka
- No. 2: Iga Świątek
- No. 3: Coco Gauff
- No. 4: Amanda Anisimova
As the third seed, Gauff is placed in the opposite half of the draw from No. 2 Iga Świątek (or No. 1 Sabalenka, depending on the draw placement) and will avoid meeting a top-2 seed until the semifinals.
Tournament
Draw
The draw is scheduled to be released on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
First Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Second Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Third Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Fourth Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Quarterfinals
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Semifinals
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Final
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Statistics
(Statistics to be updated as the tournament progresses)
| Category | Gauff (2026) | Tournament Average |
| Aces | 0 | – |
| Double Faults | 0 | – |
| First Serve % | 0% | – |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 0% | – |
| Break Points Converted | 0/0 | – |
| Total Points Won | 0 | – |
