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Coco Gauff Dealt Nightmare Draw at Madrid Open

Coco Gauff must face several challenging opponents at the 2026 Madrid Open.
Pat Benson|
Coco Gauff received a difficult draw at the Madrid Open.
Coco Gauff received a difficult draw at the Madrid Open. | IMAGO / Michael Weber

While many tennis tournaments concluded on Sunday afternoon, tournament organizers for the Mutua Madrid Open unveiled the men's and women's singles draw. Fans poured over the brackets to chart out potential paths to the finals for their favorite players.

It quickly became clear to everyone that the third-seeded Coco Gauff faces an unbelievably challenging path to the final. Below is a detailed breakdown of Gauff's potential competitors in each round of the WTA Masters 1000 event.

Since Gauff is a seed player, she will have a bye in the first round. In the second round, Gauff will face either Oksana Selekhmeteva or a qualifier. Gauff and Selekhmeteva have never faced off on the WTA Tour. However, Selekhmeteva did upset Paula Badosa in the 2026 Australian Open.

Should Gauff advance to the third round, she could face either 25-seed Sorana Cîrstea or Elsa Jacquemot. Gauff is 2-0 against Cîrstea and has never faced Jacquemot before. However, Jacquemot did upset Marta Kostyuk at the 2026 Australian Open.

Gauff's road to the final gets even tougher in the fourth round. She could face 13-seed Linda Nosková, 20-seed Liudmila Samsonova, or Maria Sakkari. Gauff is 2-0 against Nosková, 4-0 against Samsonova, and 6-5 against Sakkari.

In the quarterfinals, Gauff could face fifth-seed Jessica Pegula, 10-seed Victoria Mboko, 17-seed Clara Tauson, or 26-seed Marta Kostyu. Gauff is 3-5 against Pegula, 1-1 against Mboko, 3-2 against Kostyuk, and has never faced Tauson before.

The semifinals could pit Gauff against second-seed Elena Rybakina, sixth-seed Amanda Anisimova, 12-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, or 16-seed Madison Keys. Gauff is 1-0 against Rybakina, 2-1 against Anisimova, 4-1 against Alexandrova, and 3-3 against Keys.

If Gauff makes it through her side of the bracket, the final could be a matchup against top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, fourth-seed Iga Swiatek, seventh-seed Elina Svitolina, eighth-seed Jasmine Paolini, or ninth-seed Mirra Andreeva. Gauff is 6-7 against Sabalenka, 5-11 against Swiatek, 2-3 against Svitolina, 4-3 against Paolini, and 4-0 against Andreeva.

The 2026 Mutua Madrid Open runs from April 22 to May 3. The iconic clay court tournament is held at the Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain. Last year, Sabalenka defeated Gauff in the final to win the prestigious event. Gauff would have to play at a very high level just to make it through this competitive field to the final.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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