Coco Gauff vs Hailey Baptiste Prediction & Picks - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 1/22/26, 8:29 PM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 1/26/26 at 11:16 AM in Tennis Picks

Among the favorites at the 2026 Australian Open, Coco Gauff had no trouble in the first two rounds. The world number three is focused and serious, which has allowed her to get through the early stages of the tournament without any problems. After defeating Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova (6-2, 6-3) in the opening round, the American then beat Serbia's Olga Danilovic in the second round, again in two quick sets (6-2, 6-2). Coco Gauff has been in good form since the start of the fortnight, and when her tennis is on point, the world number 3 is very difficult to beat. Coco Gauff will be the favorite again on Friday morning against her compatriot Hailey Baptiste to reach the second week in Melbourne.

At 24, Hailey Baptiste will be playing in the third round in Australia for the first time. The American took advantage of an open draw to achieve this performance, an opportunity she seized with both hands. After defeating her compatriot Taylor Townsend (6-3, 6-7, 6-3), the 70th-ranked player in the WTA rankings went on to dominate Australia's Sanders Storm (6-2, 6-1). Hailey Baptiste controlled two players outside the top 100 to reach the third round, where she will face a much tougher challenge in the form of Coco Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner.