The danger opponent lurking in Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Open draw who beat her recently

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Making her return in Montreal, Gauff was one of the favorites to lift the Canadian Open title.

Playing just her second match since winning the French Open title in June, Gauff returned to the court in Montreal as the number one seed.

Making a winning start, Gauff outlasted her fellow American Danielle Collins in three sets 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, to book her place in the third round.

There, she defeated Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in another three-set thriller, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, she failed in her bid to reach the quarterfinals, as Gauff lost to home-favorite Victoria Mboko in straight sets.

Looking to bounce back in Cincinnati, Gauff has been handed a tricky draw, which could see her play the woman who beat her just 36 days ago, in the third round.

Coco Gauff may play the woman who beat her at Wimbledon in the Cincinnati Open third round

Travelling to Cincinnati as the number two seed, Gauff will begin her campaign in the second round against either Emiliana Arango or Wang Xinyu.

She could then come up against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in round three, providing the 32nd seed beats either a qualifier or Ann Li in her opener.

At Wimbledon, Yastremska stunned Gauff in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1, knocking the American out in the first round at SW19.

The world number two didn’t play well against Yastremska at Wimbledon, producing another below-par serving display.

Yastremska will no doubt hope to pick up another win over Gauff should they face off in Cincinnati, although the Ukrainian would be wise to remember what happened in their first three meetings.

Defeating the 25-year-old at the 2024 Madrid Open, 2024 French Open, and 2025 Madrid Open, Gauff took a 3-0 lead in the head-to-head with Yastremska.

• 2025 Madrid Open 2R – Coco Gauff defeated Dayana Yastremska, 0-6, 6-2, 7-5
• 2024 French Open 3R – Coco Gauff defeated Dayana Yastremska, 6-2, 6-4
• 2024 Madrid Open 3R – Coco Gauff defeated Dayana Yastremska, 6-4, 6-1

Whether Gauff can extend her head-to-head lead to 4-1, or Yastremska can close the gap to 2-3, remains to be seen, but both players will need to reach the third round first.

If Gauff can beat Yastremska, the trouble doesn’t end there, as she will face several more challenges en route to the Cincinnati Open title.

Coco Gauff’s route to the Cincinnati Open title

Winning a WTA 1000 title is never easy, and Gauff will have to take down some of the best players in the world if she wants to emerge victorious in Ohio.

The likes of Arango/Wang and Yastremska could test her in rounds two and three, but the opponents will only get tougher from then on.

Coco Gauff’s projected route to the title (By ranking)

• 2R – Xinyu Wang
• 3R – [32] Dayana Yastremska
• 4R – [15] Daria Kasatkina
• QF – [7] Jasmine Paolini
• SF – [4] Jessica Pegula
• F – [1] Aryna Sabalenka

In the fourth round, Gauff may play Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, a former Grand Slam semifinalist.

World number nine Jasmine Paolini could then await her in the quarters, the woman who beat Gauff in the final of the Italian Open earlier this year.

A semifinal tie with Jessica Pegula could follow, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka potentially awaiting her in the final.

Gauff and Sabalenka haven’t played one another since their controversial clash at Roland Garros earlier this year, where the American clinched her second major title.

In the head-to-head, it’s Gauff who leads, 6-5, in one of the most hotly contested rivalries on the WTA Tour.

Only time will tell if we will see the pair face off for a 12th time in Cincinnati, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

The 2025 Cincinnati Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 11.