Coco Gauff could have the chance to go up against one of her idols at 2026 Australian Open

The 2026 Australian Open main draw begins on Sunday, Jan. 18, and there are already several marquee matchups fans are clamoring for. 

In the men's quarterfinals, defending champion Jannik Sinner could face top-ranked American Ben Shelton, while Carlos Alcaraz is on track to break Australian hearts against sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur. 

Meanwhile, on the women's side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is in the same quarter as British superstar Emma Raducanu, and Iga Swiatek may have to go through four-time major winner Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16. 

Nonetheless, the early potential matchup that's getting the most headlines centers on two American legends who haven't played each other in six years. 

Coco Gauff could face Venus Williams in second round of Australian Open

Coco Gauff enters Melbourne as the No. 3 seed, looking to improve on her quarterfinal appearance from last season. The 21-year-old is an established superstar on the WTA Tour with two Grand Slams to her name in singles, including last year's French Open. 

Seven years ago, however, Gauff was a rising junior player six months away from shocking the world. The Delray Beach, Fla., native's major debut came against her idol Venus Williams in the first round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Gauff, who was the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon in the Open Era at age 15, won the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, becoming a household name in the process. 

The current world No. 3 is now the face of American tennis and will play Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round. Meanwhile, Williams will look for her first major victory since 2020 against unranked Olga Danilovic on Saturday. 

The 45-year-old is in solid form and became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match at the 2025 Citi Open. Williams has lost five straight singles matches since, but she definitely has more than a fighting chance to advance against the young Serbian. 

If the two Americans take care of business, they will play each other next for the third time in their careers. This would be a full-circle moment for both Williams and Gauff on one of the sport's grandest stages. And unlike their past meetings, the pressure would be squarely on Gauff's shoulders.