WTA Dubai 2024: Coco Gauff vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

The 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships will be a WTA 1000 event after being a 500 event in 2023. The upgraded point system means that players will give their all to advance in the tournament to win. Coco Gauff will play against Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her first-round clash in the tournament. For Cocciaretto, it’ll be the toughest battle of her life.

Gauff had her best season in 2023. The American youngster began the season with an early exit in the Australian Open. She then reached the quarterfinal of the French Open. However, she would stumble once again as the grass season rolled around with a first-round exit in Wimbledon. However, her run after the tournament would launch her to the top 3. She won her first WTA 500 and WTA 1000 tournament in August.

She would follow it up by winning the US Open. Gauff then managed to reach the WTA Finals at the end of the year. Coming into 2024, Gauff started the year with a bang by winning the ASB Classics and then played till the semifinal of the Australian Open. However, she exited in the first round of the Qatar Open, now looking to improve in Dubai.

On the other hand, Cocciaretto did not have as glorious of 2023. However, she showed great tennis skills in 2023. She could not manage to go past round 3 in grand slams. In WTA 1000 tournaments, she couldn’t go beyond round two matches. She played many Challenger, 250, and 500 events, where she saw some results. She reached the final of the Hobart International and won the Ladies Open Lausanne.

She would also win the San Luis Open in April. Cocciaretto began the year in the Hobart International and lost in the first round. The Italian player would then have second-round exits in the Australian Open, Linz Open, and the Winners Open. Now, she is looking to establish a different result in Dubai.

Gauff and Cocciaretto have played against each other on the WTA Tour once. Their match took place in 2022 in the Guadalajara Open. The Italian player pushed Gauff in the first set to a tie-breaker, but the American teenage sensation would win the match with a resounding performance, ending the match with the final score of 7-6, 6-3.

While Cocciaretto kept improving in the last year, she is not at a level where she can beat the US Open champion. Gauff has been on a roll since the Citi Open in 2023, and her form has shown no signs of slowing down even slightly. Now, Gauff has a better chance of moving ahead, and Cocciaretto will have to look forward to her next tournament.