Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are two of the most popular tennis players in the world.
They have a combined 11.2 million Instagram followers (Alcaraz – 8.8 million, Gauff – 2.4 million) and attract large crowds wherever they go.
That’s unsurprising given the results they have achieved on the court, with Alcaraz a seven-time Grand Slam champion and Gauff a two-time major winner.
Despite the ‘big three’ era ending, tennis is better now than it was 10 years ago – Prove me wrong!
But would they ever treat fans to a one-on-one exhibition match?
Coco Gauff says she ‘probably wouldn’t’ play Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match
During an interview with ‘USA Today Sports‘, Gauff was happy to talk about her father’s comments, in which he suggested she could beat Alcaraz.
“How do we get the two of you in a friendly match?” the interviewer asked.
“I mean, for the sake of my confidence, I probably wouldn’t step on the court with him,” said Gauff.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but I’d rather him be on the same side of the court with me, and I’d be down to play mixed doubles with him.
“But, like I said, my dad would still probably put his money on me, even if I put my money on Carlos [Alcaraz]!”
Gauff and Alcaraz are both top-five players on their respective tours and are multiple Grand Slam champions.
Official WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Grand Slams | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 4 | 8,670 |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 2 | 8,316 |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 0 | 6,680 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | USA | 2 | 5,919 |
| 5 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 6 | 5,419 |
Official ATP Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Grand Slams | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 5 | 13,450 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 7 | 8,160 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 1 | 8,090 |
| 4 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 0 | 4,740 |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 24 | 3,760 |
But if they were to play each other, you’d have to give the Spaniard the edge.
Last December, the WTA number one, Aryna Sabalenka, played Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match, which the Aussie won.
The stars of the WTA Tour are immensely talented, but on a level playing field, often fall short against their ATP counterparts.
However, as Gauff rightly pointed out, a mixed doubles partnership could work.
In fact, there are still three wild card spots available for the US Open mixed doubles event later this year…
Should Alcaraz be fit to compete, perhaps the two stars could team up at Flushing Meadows.
Coco Gauff advances at the Cincinnati Open
Alcaraz hasn’t played a match since April due to injury, but Gauff remains active and is currently playing her final event before the US Open.
The 22-year-old is through to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open.
Gauff defeated Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Ann Li, 6-1, 7-6, to secure her spot in the last 16.
There, she will play the Czech star, Marie Bouzkova.
Gauff and Bouzkova have met three times previously, and the world number 27 leads their head-to-head 2-1.
Coco Gauff and Marie Bouzkova’s head-to-head record
- 2022 Cincinnati Open 1R – Marie Bouzkova defeated Coco Gauff, 7-5, 1-0 (RET)
- 2023 Italian Open 3R – Marie Bouzkova defeated Coco Gauff, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
- 2025 French Open 3R – Coco Gauff defeated Marie Bouzkova, 6-1, 7-6
With that being said, Gauff will still walk on court as the favourite to reach the quarter-finals.
She could meet either Marta Kostyuk or Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals, two players who have excelled at times in 2026.
Kostyuk won the Madrid Open earlier this year while Andreeva won Roland Garros later in the clay-court season.
If Gauff is to reach the semis, she will need to play her best tennis.
Looking further ahead, Gauff could play Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals and Elena Rybakina in the final.
The American will have her work cut out for her if she is to win her first title of the season in Cincinnati!
She will resume her title bid on Wednesday, August 19, when she takes on Bouzkova for a spot in the quarter-finals.
