Wimbledon 2023: Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (7) Coco Gauff vs (Q) Sofia Kenin

Date: July 3, 2023

Tournament: Wimbledon 2023

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: London, United Kingdom

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £44,700,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports

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Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin preview

Coco Gauff at the 2023 Rothesay International.

World No. 7 Coco Gauff will square off against 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Monday.

Gauff's had a pretty decent season so far. She started off by winning her third career title at the ASB Classic and then making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open. The teenager advanced to the last eight at the French Open, where she lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in a rematch of last year's final.

Gauff also excelled in doubles during this period. Teaming up with Jessica Pegula, the duo won titles in Doha and Miami, while reaching the finals in Madrid and Rome. They also reached the semifinals at both Majors this year.

Gauff's grass swing started at the WTA 500 event in Berlin, where she lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. She performed better in her next tournament, the Rothesay International, by making it to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, a third-round showing at the Italian Open, which included a win over World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, is the highlight of Kenin's season so far. She was relegated to competing in the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon due to her low ranking.

Kenin scored straight-sets wins over Irina Falconi, Moyuka Uchijima and Taylor Townsend to secure her spot in the main draw. After failing to make it past the qualifying rounds of the French Open, this is a step up for her.

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Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head

The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Gauff won their most recent contest at the 2023 ASB Classic in straight sets.

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Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Coco Gauff	-500	+1.5 (-1400)	Over 20.5 (-110)
Sofia Kenin	+333	-1.5 (+600)	Under 20.5 (-125)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

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Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin prediction

Sofia Kenin at the 2023 Italian Open.

Gauff and Kenin's careers have gone in opposite directions over the last couple of years. The latter was expected to cement her place at the top of the women's game following her triumph at the Australian Open.

But in a strange twist of events, Kenin now finds herself duking it out in qualifiers and lower-tier events. Gauff, on the other hand, has been consistent enough to secure herself a place in the top 10 for a while now.

Kenin's accuracy and penchant for not committing too many errors made her a tough competitor. That aspect of her game has changed a bit, with her aggressive approach being hit and miss. Gauff's usual weaknesses, especially her forehand, are exploited by the tour quite often.

However, it's unlikely that Kenin will be able to do so in a manner that'll send Gauff crashing out in the first round itself. The teenager has a decent record at Wimbledon and one can count on her for a winning start.

Pick: Coco Gauff to win in straight sets.