Gauff closes the door on an exhibition match against Alcaraz
Coco Gauff sealed her spot in the WTA Cincinnati 2026 Round of 16 early this morning after defeating her fellow countrywoman Ann Li 6-1 7-6, in a match where she was down 5-3 in the second set and was on the ropes. Shortly after, the young American tennis player was also asked about the possibility of playing a mixed exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz, and her response did not go unnoticed.
At the end of 2025, Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios faced off in 'The Battle of the Sexes', an exhibition match with special rules for each player in which the Australian tennis player ended up winning. Recently, Sabalenka acknowledged that she wouldn't mind playing another match of this kind with a different opponent and different rules, although in Coco's case, she is not too keen on this type of match, especially if they put her up against a player as fit as Alcaraz.
“For my own confidence, I probably wouldn’t step onto the court with him. I wouldn’t oppose it, but I would prefer him to be on the same side of the court as me, and I would be willing to play mixed doubles with him. My dad would probably still bet on me, even if I bet on Carlos," Gauff admitted to 'USA Today Sports', who has left the door open to playing alongside the Spanish tennis player in a mixed tournament in the future, something that has become very popular after initiatives like the US Open.
Gauff and Alcaraz, together in the 2027 mixed US Open?
It’s curious that Gauff is open to playing a mixed tournament with Alcaraz in the future, as she doesn’t seem to be a big fan of these types of formats. The American player is one of the most media-covered players on the WTA circuit, but neither in 2025 nor 2026 did she choose to participate in the mixed US Open as she preferred to conserve energy for the singles draw, which is surprising considering that she plays at home and the media attention her participation would generate.
In Alcaraz's case, he did play in 2025 alongside Emma Raducanu, while this year, there were rumors that he could participate alongside Serena Williams. However, the participation of both remains uncertain even in the singles draw, so for now, everything is still up in the air. What is clear is that Gauff and Alcaraz could bring a lot of excitement to a tournament of this magnitude, so they may be seen together in New York by 2027.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff cierra la puerta a un partido de exhibición contra Alcaraz