Former champion Gauff looks to push deeper, while Vekic seeks to revive her season.
Third seed Coco Gauff will take on Donna Vekic in the second round of the US Open 2025. Gauff opened her campaign with a hard-fought three-set win over Ajla Tomljanovic, while Vekic came through in a comeback victory against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, has had a mixed run of form in recent weeks. She fell early at Wimbledon, Berlin, and Montreal but steadied herself with a quarterfinal showing in Cincinnati. Her best results came earlier in the year on clay, reaching finals in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka for her second Grand Slam title. Statistically, she has remained strong across the season, winning close to 70% of first-serve points, converting more than half her break opportunities, and firing 138 aces in 48 matches.
Coco Gauff is on to the next round of the US Open 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CQOK2J8HJB
— ESPN (@espn) August 27, 2025
For Vekic, 2025 has been more modest. The Croatian reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and made the third round in Indian Wells and Madrid but has struggled for consistency elsewhere. Once ranked as high as world No. 17 in January, she has since slipped to No. 49. Overall inconsistency and coaching changes have played a role, with Sascha Bajin now leading her team. Across 31 matches this season, she has produced 103 aces while maintaining a steady 67.6% first-serve win rate and 48.6% break point conversion rate.
Breathe. Reset. Win 🔁@DonnaVekic regroups to secure the victory over Bouzas Maneiro!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/wX44aiKEPk
— wta (@WTA) August 27, 2025
Coco Gauff and Donna Vekic head into their US Open clash with their head-to-head finely balanced at 1-1. Their first meeting came on the big stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Vekic stunned the American in straight sets. Gauff struck back earlier this season at the United Cup, going undefeated through the week and avenging that loss with a commanding straight-sets win over the Croatian.
| Year | Event | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | United Cup | Round Robin | Coco Gauff | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2024 | Olympics | Round of 16 | Donna Vekic | 7-6(7), 6-2 |
| Coco Gauff | Category | Donna Vekic |
| 3 | Current Ranking | 49 |
| 264-111 | Career W-L | 385-297 |
| 35-12 | YTD W-L | 11-19 |
| 10 | Career Titles | 4 |
| 2 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 1 | YTD Titles | 0 |
Vekic’s serve could keep her competitive early, but Gauff’s stronger baseline game and composure in big moments should tilt the match her way.
CHAMPS RISE 😤
— wta (@WTA) August 27, 2025
Coco Gauff fends off Tomljanovic in a three set battle, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/OsM6gMaz1u
Prediction: Coco Gauff in straight sets
Priced at 1/8 against Vekic’s 5/1, Gauff enters as the clear favorite, with bookmakers expecting a straightforward win.
Here are the betting odds according to BetMGM:
Coco Gauff: 1/8
Donna Vekic: 5/1
Here are the odds for total games as well as total sets for both players (sourced via BetMGM):
Total Sets Under 2.5: 8/25
Total Sets Over 2.5: 23/10
Total Games Under 21.5: 13/25
Total Game Over 21.5: 29/20
Gauff Set 1 Winner: 1/5
Vekic Set 1 Winner: 33/10
(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)
Mandatory Image Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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mma I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.
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