Coco Gauff Crowned Champion at China Open

Coco Gauff claimed her eighth WTA title and her first since January by dominating unseeded Czech player Karolina Muchova at the China Open. The fourth-seeded American had faced challenges earlier in the tournament, battling back from a set down in her previous three matches. However, she displayed her resilience and skill in the final winning decisively with a score of 6-1, 6-3 in just one hour and 17 minutes.

Gauff playfully attributed her improved performance to a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City with men’s singles winner Carlos Alcaraz, joking that the Imperial Palace brought them luck. She stormed through the first set in 30 minutes forcing Muchova into a series of unforced errors and securing two breaks of serve. Despite being ranked 49th, Muchova had previously defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in earlier rounds.

However, she struggled to counter Gauff’s powerful game. Although Muchova initially took a 2-0 lead in the second set, Gauff quickly regained her composure, winning four consecutive games and sealing her victory when Muchova hit a backhand long marking her 24th unforced error. In her post-match interview, Gauff praised Muchova, saying, “I think you’re such an amazing player – you deserve everything.”

Coco Gauff also expressed gratitude to her new coach, Matt Daly, noting that her success under his guidance marked a positive change after ending her partnership with Brad Gilbert last month. With her victory in this WTA 1,000 event in Beijing, Gauff moved up to fourth place in the Race to the Finals as she prepares for the upcoming Wuhan Open starting Monday.