Gauff and Zheng are the two youngest players in the top 10 and they have two of the biggest fanbases in the world given their exciting game styles and endearing personalities.

But 2025 has not gone according to plan for the duo so far, who have not yet come closer to winning some silverware and are struggling to find their best form.

Qinwen Zheng and Coco Gauff are both on three-match losing streaks

Qinwen Zheng’s nightmare start to 2025 continues

After producing the best season of her career in 2024, Qinwen Zheng was expected to hit the ground running in 2025.

She opted not to play the warm-up tournament before the Australian Open and won one match in Melbourne Park before a shock second round defeat to veteran Laura Siegemund.

The Olympic champion has yet to win a match since then, as a tough loss to Ons Jabeur in Qatar came before a three-set defeat to America’s Peyton Stearns in Dubai.

Zheng seems to be struggling on the bigger points, and she converted just two of the six break points she registered.

The Chinese number one is struggling at the moment, but she certainly has time to turn things around ahead of the upcoming trip to the United States for the North American hard court swing.

Coco Gauff struggles for form in the Middle East swing

Coco Gauff enjoyed an unbeaten start to the year as she guided the United States to the United Cup title.

She then reached the Australian Open quarter-finals, but her progress was halted by Paula Badosa, who beat Gauff 7-5, 6-4.

Since then the American has lost three successive matches which included defeats to Marta Kostyuk in Qatar and most surprisingly, to McCartney Kessler in Dubai.

Kessler ended her compatriot’s 36-match win streak against players outside the top 50, and she broke Gauff’s serve three times in the process.

The 20-year-old seems to look more vulnerable on her forehand and serve once again, and making untimely unforced errors that prevent her from gaining any momentum.

If Gauff wants to become the World number one, she cannot afford to lose successive opening matches at WTA Tour 1000 events.

Perhaps heading back to the US to compete on home soil in March will help Gauff restore some confidence in her game.

What is next for Qinwen Zheng and Coco Gauff?

Both Zheng and Gauff are in poor form but they are not the only top 10 players struggling at the moment.

Since reaching the Adelaide International final, Jessica Pegula has won just five matches and was beaten by Linda Noskova in Dubai.

Furthermore, Jasmine Paolini has yet to reach the quarter-finals of any event in 2025 and her Dubai Open title defence is now at an end courtesy of Sofia Kenin.

It remains to be seen if Zheng and Gauff will play again before the next WTA 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami, but the pair have plenty of work to do in order to turn their form around.