Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Doha match.
Coco Gauff steps onto the court in Doha looking to reaffirm her status as the world’s No. 3. After a less-than-ideal performance at the Australian Open, the American is eager to get back to winning ways. Facing her is Marta Kostyuk (22), who has consistently put up a fight against elite players in recent years.
Coco Gauff
The American enjoyed a dominant run last autumn, winning titles in Beijing and the WTA Finals. However, she fell short at the Australian Open, where she was eliminated from the quarter-finals. Despite her top-level consistency, serve issues remain a concern—over the last five matches, Gauff has committed 35 double faults. That said, she has a strong record against European players, winning four of her last five such encounters. In 2024 alone, she has already faced Kostyuk three times, winning twice—both in three-set battles.
Marta Kostyuk
Despite finishing last season inside the top 20, Kostyuk has struggled to maintain form in 2025, dropping to No. 22 in the rankings. After reaching the third round at the Australian Open, she has failed to deliver standout performances since. Her record against American opponents is poor, suffering five consecutive losses. The main issue is her serve—across her last two matches, opponents earned 27 break points against her. However, her return game is a major strength. In her Australian Open match against Gauff last year, she created 14 break-point chances, converting 50% of them.
Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk Prediction
Head-to-head results suggest Kostyuk can put up a fight, but her unstable serve remains a key weakness. Gauff is the clear favourite, but a one-sided rout is unlikely, as the Ukrainian tends to stay competitive against top-tier opponents.
