Coco Gauff has made improvements to her serving and her forehand. And the strides in both of those areas are among the reasons she's considered one of the few women ready to challenge two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title at the Australian Open.

In a match slated for Saturday, Sofia Kenin (No. 81 in rankings) will face Coco Gauff (No. 3) in the Round of 128 at the Australian Open.Gauff’s last competition was a win, 7-5, 6-2, over

Australian Open begins January 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers,