Coco Gauff has arrived in Montréal with momentum, headlines, and history all on her side, but she won’t have long to ease into the action. Her opening test is a fierce all-American clash against Danielle Collins, who’s no stranger to shaking up the draw with her fearless, high-octane game.
With both players taking drastically different paths to this point in the season, their looming showdown feels less like a warmup and more like a statement match. Can Gauff reassert her dominance on hard courts, or will Collins spoil the party with a signature upset? There’s a lot on the line — and even more intrigue as these two meet for the very first time in a pro match.
French Open Champion Coco Gauff Begins Montréal Run Against Resurgent Danielle Collins
Gauff, the top seed in Montréal and World No. 2, will begin her National Bank Open campaign in the second round after a first‑round bye. Collins earned her spot by defeating qualifier Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets (6‑3, 7‑5), setting up an all‑American showdown. This will be their first meeting on tour.
Gauff had a slow start to 2025 but hit her peak in June by winning the French Open, her second Grand Slam title, by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a tight three‑set final (6‑7, 5–7, 6‑2, 6‑4). With this, she also became the first American woman to win Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.
However, at Wimbledon, she suffered a shock first‑round loss to Dayana Yastremska, citing mental fatigue following her French Open win. She committed 29 unforced errors and nine double faults in the defeat.
Collins has been quieter this season, though she remains a dangerous opponent. In the ongoing season, Collins reached the Wimbledon third round by defeating Veronika Erjavec and Camila Osorio before falling to Iga Šwiątek in straight sets.
She also claimed her biggest title at the 2024 Miami Open, beating Elena Rybakina to win her first WTA 1000 trophy as an unseeded player. Collins briefly announced her retirement in late 2024, but reversed course and declared she’ll continue playing in 2025.
Gauff vs. Collins Head-to-Head
Gauff and Collins have never faced each other in an official professional singles match, including all WTA Tour events, WTA 125s, ITF tournaments, and Challenger-level competitions. Therefore, the upcoming showdown at the National Bank Open will mark their first meeting.
Gauff vs. Collins Prediction
Gauff enters the National Bank Open with one of the strongest hard‑court resumes in 2025. She began the year by winning the United Cup on hard courts, defeating Iga Świątek in the final, and reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells and the fourth round at Miami.
Gauff plays a high-tempo, defensive-through-depth style, utilising her foot speed and court coverage to extend rallies and force opponents into errors. Collins, on the other hand, relies on aggressive baseline hitting and a power‑first mindset, with her dominant forehand and return game. While Collins can excel on hard courts, her game sometimes becomes too high‑risk in big matches.
COCO GAUFF 🇺🇸 IS ARRIVED IN MONTRÉAL 🇨🇦
We missed you Coco !!! pic.twitter.com/nywpXMyHaq
— 🇺🇸 𝗖𝗢𝗖𝗢 𝗚𝗔𝗨𝗙𝗙 👑 🅽🅴🆆🆂 (@COCO_GAUFF_NEWS) July 26, 2025
Gauff also leads in serve efficiency. She averages a first‑serve percentage of around 60.6%, winning about 70.1% of those first‑serve points, and wins nearly 70% of her service games overall. Collins, despite her power, is slightly lower on serve numbers. She wins roughly 67‑75% of first‑serve points, averages around 4.6 aces per match, and has saved approximately 67% of break points in 2025.
The 31-year-old also tends to make more double faults, with a rate closer to five double faults per match compared to Gauff’s cleaner serve stats. This edge in consistency and fewer errors means Gauff will likely hold serve more comfortably and be harder to break.
Prediction: Gauff to win in straight sets
