Coco Gauff will begin her quest for a second US Open title when she takes on Zeynep Sonmez in the first round at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.
Home favourite Gauff claimed her first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2023, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final, but she has not been beyond the fourth round in her last two appearances at her home Slam.
The 22-year-old, who added the French Open to her list of accolades in 2025, has had a quiet year by her own high standards, but she was able to win last month's Cincinnati Open - her first title success of the year - beating compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final.
Gauff will be hoping the omens are good for her latest US Open tilt, as the last time she won in Cincinnati, she went all the way in New York as well.
Standing in her way in the first round this year is Turkish star Sonmez, who broke into the world's top 50 earlier this season and has some Grand Slam pedigree, having reached the third round of both Wimbledon in 2025 and the Australian Open earlier this year.
Zeynep Sonmez vs. Coco Gauff betting picks and predictions
Coco Gauff -6.5 Match Spread (-163)
It had been a frustrating first half of 2026 for Gauff, who lost in the finals of the Miami and Italian Opens before falling at the third-round stage of her French Open defence to 28th seed Anastasia Potapova.
However, that defeat at Roland Garros appears to have galvanised Gauff, who followed up a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon by reaching the same stage of the National Bank Open.
Still, a first title success of 2026 was eluding the world number four, that was until the recent Cincinnati Open where she stormed to success, dropping only one set and thrashing fellow American top-10 player Pegula 6-2 6-4 in the final.
Gauff won her final five matches in Cincinnati without dropping a set and she should make similarly light work of Sonmez, who has failed to make any significant inroads into her last four events.
Sonmez did win her first-round match at last year's US Open, but that was against qualifier Katie Volynets, with Gauff set to provide a much sterner test of the Turkish player's credentials.
Gauff has made it to at least the fourth round of the US Open in each of the last four years and she is rightly the overwhelming favourite to win (-2500) and to do so in straight sets (-500).
The value could lie in siding with the Florida native to come through with a -6.5 handicap on the match spread, given in her last four matches she has dropped just five, four, five and six games respectively - the last of those coming in the Cincinnati Open final against Pegula.
Coco Gauff to win first set 6-2 (+375)
Gauff will be far more accustomed to the surroundings of Arthur Ashe Stadium than her opponent and she should be able to win the first set in convincing fashion.
In the final of the Cincinnati Open, the 22-year-old took the opener against Pegula 6-2 and she also achieved that feat in the first set of her quarterfinal victory over Marta Kostyuk.
In total, four of the last eight sets Gauff has contested she has won 6-2, while Sonmez lost the opening set of her two matches in Cincinnati by the same scoreline, recovering to win her first-round match against Daria Kasatkina in three but losing in straight sets to Amanda Anisimova in the second round.
Sonmez lost 6-2, 6-3 to Anisimova and it could be a similar story against Gauff, who can take the first set by a two-break margin.
12+ double faults in the match (+162)
Gauff may be one of the best players in the world but her serve can still prove a source of frustration as she has produced more double faults than any player on the WTA Tour in 2026, totalling 302 across her 54 matches compared to just 159 aces.
Sonmez has similar issues as in 37 matches this season she has served up 104 double faults, which is not far off being three times her ace total (39).
With both players having problems, relative at least, with their serve, it could be worth backing the double-fault total to reach at least 12.
Zeynep Sonmez vs. Coco Gauff odds
Zeynep Sonmez | +1200 |
Coco Gauff | -2500 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
