Coco Gauff is back to winning ways with a sensational start to her Miami campaign. The World No.3 and 2023 US Open winner dominated compatriot Sofia Kenin on Thursday with a double bagel. It was a proper thrashing from the 21-year-old. After constant setbacks in 2025, facing early round exits in recent events (Doha and Dubai), Gauff appears to have found the rhythm in Miami. But she would know the job is not done yet and she has to go all the way. So, who’s she facing next in R32? Well, it’s none other than her formidable rival, Maria Sakkari.
Coco Gauff v Maria Sakkari: Preview
Gauff hasn’t had a great season so far. Back in January, she looked in good touch, coming off her WTA Finals triumph and helping Team USA clinch their second consecutive United Cup title. However, her form dipped from there. She failed to make a deep run in the Australian Open and was eliminated in the QF, losing to Paula Badosa. Following that, she was ousted from the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships in her first match.
As if that wasn’t enough, she also failed to impress in the Indian Wells earlier this month. She seemed to be in slightly better form there, as compared to how she was playing in the Middle East swing, but she couldn’t go deeper in the tournament. Belinda Bencic beat her in the fourth round with a score line of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
But going against Sakkari in the Miami Open R32, she will feel confident as she beat the Greek earlier in the Indian Wells R32.
Sakkari is no different as far as her 2025 form is concerned. In the last three events (Dubai, Merida, and Indian Wells), she failed to make a lasting impression. She faced early exits, crashing out in R64, R32 and R32 respectively. Speaking of her campaign in Miami, it opened on a good note on Friday after she beat Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti. But she had to work hard for the victory as the match went into a decider. Sakkari eventually advanced with a score line of 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Gauff v Sakkari: Head-to-Head
Both players have met multiple times on the WTA Tour. In fact, their last face-off came just more than a week ago in Indian Wells. Beating Sakkari in straight sets by 7-6(1), 6-2, Gauff avenged her defeat from last year’s edition. In 2024, Sakkari had ousted Gauff in the Indian Wells semifinal with a score line of 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. Currently, the Greek player is also leading the h2h tally 5-4 against the American.
2025 Indian Wells R32: Gauff 7-6(1), 6-2
2024 Indian Wells SF: Sakkari 6-4,6(5)-7,6-2
2023 Beijing QF: Gauff 6-2,6-4
2023 Washington DC Final: Gauff 6-2,6-3
2022 Rome R16: Sakkari 6-4,7-5
2022 Doha QF: Sakkari 6-3,6-3
2021 Rome R32: Gauff 6-1,1-6,6-1
2021 Abu Dhabi R32: Sakkari 7-5,6-2
2020 Cincinnati (NYC) R64: Sakkari 6-1,6-3
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in straight sets
Coco Gauff‘s singles record in 2025 is decent (11-4) and she seems to have found some momentum. But her record in Miami historically isn’t that impressive. Her best run came in 2022 and in 2024 when she reached the fourth round but she couldn’t go beyond on either of the two occasions. In 2023, she was ousted in R32 itself.
Sakkari’s Miami experience, on the flip side, has been slightly better than her opponent’s. She was able to reach the semifinal round back in 2021 before losing to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu. A year later, she was ousted early, in R32, but came back strongly last season when she managed to make it to the QF stage before Elena Rybakina defeated her with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-7, 6-4. So clearly, she’s got an edge over Gauff in terms of the past records in Miami.
When it comes to playing style, Gauff has got a strong backhand. Not to mention her excellent athleticism on the court, allowing her to reach the ball no matter where it lands. But she will have to keep a check on her inconsistent serve, resulting in double faults. In her last event in Indian Wells, she committed 21 double faults in the opening against Japan Uchijima.
If she minimizes the unforced errors, Gauff can make light work of Sakkari. Speaking of Sakkari, she’s known for her aggressive style of play in general. The Greek has got powerful serves and groundstrokes in her arsenal.
However, Gauff looks to be the favorite going into Saturday’s encounter. She’s already outplayed Sakkari once this month. Plus, her domination against Kenin in her Miami Open opener was simply amazing to watch. Gauff might settle the scores against Sakkari this time, making the h2h tally 5-5. The prediction is for the American sensation to win the match in straight sets.
The post Miami Open 2025: Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
