Coco Gauff and Marta Kostyuk are set for an incredible quarterfinal matchup at the Cincinnati Open. The match will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday night.
Here is my pick, prediction and best bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s quarterfinal match between Marta Kostyuk and Coco Gauff.
Marta Kostyuk vs. Coco Gauff Preview
Coco Gauff Preview
It has been another solid year of tennis for Coco Gauff. She is currently the No. 4 ranked player in the world, after ending last year as the World No. 3. Gauff made a quarterfinal run in Melbourne and a semifinal at Wimbledon, but is still seeking another major title. She is looking to round into form just in time to chase that major title in front of her home crowd in New York. Gauff made a nice run to the semi-finals in Canada and is now just one win away from doing so here in Cincinnati as well. Gauff did win this tournament back in 2023, so she has a strong history here.
Marta Kostyuk Preview
It has been a dream 2026 season for Marta Kostyuk. She showed some signs of promise earlier in the year, but went on a remarkable run through the clay season. She won the Open de Rouen and the Madrid Open in back-to-back tournaments, giving Kostyuk her first-ever WTA 1000 title. Kostyuk followed that up with a trip to the semi-finals at Roland-Garros, her first career major semi-final. As if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Kostyuk followed that up with a semifinal run at Wimbledon as well. The only real argument against Kostyuk was that she could only get it done on alternative surfaces. However, her run to the quarter-finals here in Cincinnati is putting those criticisms to bed as well.
Marta Kostyuk vs. Coco Gauff Pick, Best Bet
My best bet for this match is for Marta Kostyuk to pull off the upset. She played brilliantly in the fourth round to come back and win against Mirra Andreeva after losing the first set. Kostyuk has played with such calmness and confidence all year, something that has made her so challenging to beat. If they both play their best tennis, Coco Gauff would likely win the match, but Kostyuk has shown much more consistency this season.
These two have faced off five times over the years, but not yet this year. Their only meeting in 2025 was won by Marta Kostyuk in two sets in Doha on hardcourt. Kostyuk has now won two of her past three meetings against Gauff, and is in much better form than she was at that time. Marta Kostyuk should keep up her excellent 2026 season by moving on to the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.
