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Coco Gauff plays Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open. Our Australian Open odds series has our Gauff-Kenin prediction, odds and pick. Find out how to watch Gauff-Kenin.
There are some hugely interesting first-round matches at the 2025 Australian Open. One is the battle between top seed (and tournament favorite) Aryna Sabalenka and American veteran Sloane Stephens. You will note that Sabalenka-Stephens is a matchup of major champions. Sabalenka won two majors last year and has captured the last two Australian Opens. Stephens won the 2017 U.S. Open title.
This match between Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin is also a first-round collision between major champions. Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open title, while Kenin won the Australian Open in 2020. It is quite remarkable that multiple first-round matches at a major tournament should involve two winners of major titles. Gauff versus Kenin will be fascinating to watch. Now we have to wait and see if Kenin, whose star has fallen in recent years, can somehow find a way to pick herself back up and return to the top of the WTA Tour.
Keep this point in mind about Kenin: She didn't just win the Australian Open. She also reached the French Open final in 2020, losing to Iga Swiatek. When Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open, it was not a flash in the pan, at least in the sense that Kenin continued to play good tennis after that title, and on non-hardcourt surfaces as well. Kenin's defense and toughness — a formula Gauff has used to vault herself into the top three of the world rankings — figured to be sustainable, but it just hasn't happened for her. Yet, Kenin is 26 years old. She still has a lot of time left in her career if she can make some course corrections and find some solutions. It's not as though the clock is running out for her. She just has to regroup and see what she is capable of achieving.
Gauff enters this tournament on the heels of last year's very impressive run to the Australian Open semifinals, where she lost to Sabalenka, the eventual champion. Gauff's main challenge as she begins the first big tournament of the 2025 season is to hit a bigger, more consistent forehand. That is the wing where she often falls short against comparable opponents. If she can significantly improve her forehand and what she is able to produce from that shot, Gauff should be able to add another major championship to her trophy case in 2025. She has the winning mentality, the court speed, the defense, and the overall toughness needed to win big titles. The forehand and a more consistent first serve can lift her over the top.
Here are the Gauff-Kenin Australian Open odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Australian Open Odds: Gauff-Kenin Odds
Game Spread:
Gauff -6.5 (-126)
Kenin +6.5 (-108)
Moneyline:
Gauff -1600
Kenin +860
To Win First Set:
Gauff -750
Kenin +500
Total Games In Match:
Over 17.5 (-130)
Under 17.5 (-104)
Total Games Won:
Article Continues Below
Gauff over 12.5 (+164)
Gauff under 12.5 (-225)
Kenin over 5.5 (-126)
Kenin under 5.5 (-106)
How to Watch Australian Open
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2, ESPN Plus
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Coco Gauff Will Win
Gauff is a much better and more confident tennis player than Kenin. Kenin's best days seem to be behind her, while Gauff's ceiling is high and her future is bright.
Why Sofia Kenin Will Win
Kenin is a tenacious competitor. Even if everything is not going well for her, she will bounce back and not give Gauff anything cheap. She can stay in this match and make Gauff serve big to win points. If Gauff has an off day as a server, this could get really interesting.
Final Gauff-Kenin Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to Kenin, but our official recommendation is to stay away from this one and gather information on Gauff for future rounds.
Final Gauff-Kenin Prediction & Pick: Kenin +6.5
