Why Coco Gauff will win Australian Open 2026

When looking ahead to contenders for the Australian Open 2026, it’s impossible to skip past Coco Gauff. A self-proclaimed fighter, she’s a tenacious competitor – with or without a racquet in her hand.

On court, she is fast, fierce and formidable, maintaining her hold on a top-three ranking for almost every week of 2025 and ending a third consecutive season at world No.3.

Gauff’s determination and grit shone through especially at Roland Garros, where she managed to overcome world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in a roaring upset with an astounding bounce back from a set down, emerging triumphant 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4.

It was her second major title and came less than two years after her 2023 US Open triumph on a similar hard court surface to the Australian Open, where she will target her third Slam trophy in January.

Rolling off the back of her Roland Garros triumph, Gauff also brought home the coveted WTA 1000 title in Wuhan in October. This time, there were no sets lost. Against her former doubles partner Jessica Pegula, Gauff shook off any past alliances and homed in on a singular point of focus: the trophy. With this mindset, Gauff outplayed Pegula 6-4 7-5 in just one hour and 42 minutes.

"It was a great Asian swing," said Gauff, who posted a 9-1 record in China. “[My coach Jean-Christophe Faurel] originally didn't want me to come because I had a tough US Open, but I had to prove him wrong.

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"I'm a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here."

Not only has Gauff won multiple titles this season, but she has proved to be a remarkably consistent player, reaching finals in four tournaments, including at the WTA 1000 Madrid and Rome events.

And she was as remarkable a doubles partner as she was a singles competitor. In Montreal, she swept through the Omnium Banque Nationale like a hurricane, partnering world No.31 and fellow American McCartney Kessler for the first time to knock No.3 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai out of the final.

While an undeniable tennis powerhouse, Gauff is aware of her limitations. To tackle the technical shortcomings of her serve, Gauff and her team employed the help of renowned biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan in a strategic move to up her game. Since bringing on specialist MacMillan, who was credited for helping world No.1 Sabalenka with her serve, Gauff’s form has visibly improved in a matter of months.

“I feel like I’m constantly trying to evolve and get better,” Gauff told wtatennis.com. “It’s not anything against the coaches I worked with – I can still be at the top and want to get better. Sometimes, a new perspective helps. It’s not always about what they say – maybe they’re saying similar things – but maybe the approach is a little bit different and I’m able to receive it better."

With two Grand Slams already under her belt at just 21 years of age, the chances of the world No.3 taking home the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup is promising at a tournament where she has already reached the semifinals (2024) and quarterfinals (2025).

As one of only four Americans to claim a Grand Slam before turning 21, she is well and truly following in the footsteps of the iconic Williams sisters, who have been long-time role models for Gauff.

First picking up the racquet at six years old, Gauff’s must-watch athletes were Serena and Venus Williams, who dominated women’s tennis for over a decade. Serena’s 319 weeks as world No.1 and women’s Open-era record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles make her one of the most successful players in the sport’s history. For a young Gauff, Serena and Venus were powerful sources of inspiration and representation, helping her navigate a tennis environment where players who looked like her were once few and far between.

Gauff’s journey to finding her place in the sport developed alongside her growing voice for social justice. Rather than staying silent or playing it safe, she has used her platform to advocate for racial equality and calling for an end to gun violence.

It’s a combination of inspiration, self-assuredness and maturity befitting of a multiple Grand Slam champion, achievements which demand a level of mental toughness that separates true contenders from the rest of the field. And for Gauff, her steadfast mental game is as strong as her groundstrokes.

With an unshakeable sense of self belief and an ability to triumph over adversity, the possibility of Gauff hoisting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at AO 2026 feels less like a prediction and more like a matter of time.