Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, recently shared his thoughts on how the former World No. 2 and Aryna Sabalenka are performing at the 2026 Australian Open. He also discussed the possibility of Gauff and Sabalenka meeting in the semifinals of the Melbourne Major.
Gauff and Sabalenka have faced each other 12 times on the WTA Tour, with each player winning six matches. Their most recent encounter was at the 2025 WTA Finals, where the World No. 1 emerged victorious with a scoreline of 7-6(5), 6-2.
Brad Gilbert Opens Up About Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff’s Potential ‘Collision’ at Australian Open SF
In this year’s Australian Open, Gauff, seeded third, defeated Kamilla Rakhimova, Olga Danilović, and Hailey Baptiste to reach the fourth round. Meanwhile, top-seeded Sabalenka overcame Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, Bai Zhuoxuan, and Anastasia Potapova to advance to the fourth round.
Recently, Gilbert took to social media and shared a video in which he expressed that it has been nice seeing top players “pushed” and challenged by their opponents. He highlighted how Sabalenka was pushed to play tiebreakers by her third-round opponent, Potapova.
“Day 6 is in the books at the Aussie Open, and it’s nice to see a top player pushed: Sabalenka was pushed surprisingly by [Anastasia] Potapova. She wins a couple of tiebreakers, and amazingly, she hasn’t lost a tiebreaker in a Slam since I think 23, is that 19 straight?” Gilbert said.
Regarding Gauff, Gilbert mentioned how she lost the first set against Baptiste but made a comeback, playing a “solid” second and third set to win the match with a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Gilbert stated that, given the way both Sabalenka and Gauff are performing at the Australian Open, there is a strong possibility they could face each other in the semifinals.
“And Coco Gauff dropped the first set against [Hailey] Baptiste and then played very solid in the second and third and rolled. I still think we’re headed for that collision course potentially in the semis,” he added.
morning thoughts 💭 @AustralianOpen @TennisChannel @BastienFachan pic.twitter.com/YOyNsjuqWh
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) January 23, 2026
Gauff and Sabalenka have previously met at the Melbourne Major in the semifinals in 2024, where the Belarusian secured a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory before going on to defeat Zheng Qinwen in the final and claim the title.
Who Will Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff Face Next at Australian Open?
Following her victory over Baptiste in the third round, Gauff is set to face 19th seed Karolína Muchová for a place in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Sabalenka will take on 17th seed Victoria Mboko in the fourth round after her win over Potapova.
Muchová secured her place in the last 16 by defeating Jaqueline Cristian, Alycia Parks, and Magda Linette in the first three rounds. The Czech and Gauff have faced each other four times previously on the WTA Tour, with the latter winning all of them.
Gauff and Muchová’s most recent encounter took place during last year’s United Cup, where the American won 6-1, 6-4. The winner of the fourth-round match between the two players will face either eighth seed Mirra Andreeva or 12th seed Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
On the other hand, Mboko reached the fourth round of the Australian Open by defeating Emerson Jones, Caty McNally, and Clara Tauson. The upcoming match between Sabalenka and Mboko will mark their first encounter on the WTA Tour, with the winner facing either 29th seed Iva Jović or Yulia Putintseva in the quarterfinals.
