Coco Gauff won the China Open, becoming the first American woman to do it since Serena Williams in 2013. She defeated Karolina Muchova in straight sets in the Beijing final.
According to Sky Sports, Gauff’s strong performance against Muchova resulted in her first WTA Tour title since January.
Gauff had a three-week hiatus from tennis after a dismal campaign at the U.S. Open in early September. She has since recovered to her best level following her success in Beijing.
She dominated the final, winning 6-1, 6-3 to clinch her best victory since her first Grand Slam crown at the U.S. Open on home soil more than a year ago.
“It’s almost like a Grand Slam; the facilities are great. This is as good as it gets,” Gauff said. The American tennis superstar has now seen immediate success with new coaches Jean-Christophe Faurel and Matt Daly, after she parted ways with Brad Gilbert following her disappointing performance at this year’s U.S. Open.
thank you everyone for all of the love and support these two weeks here in Beijing❤️. Very grateful for it all! See you next year! pic.twitter.com/uZbGj4pVtr
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) October 6, 2024
Gauff also expressed her gratitude to the fans who showed up on the day, and indicated them as crucial for her impressive win.
“I would like to thank the fans. Almost every match has been filled to the brim, so thank you guys for supporting women’s tennis,” she added.
Gauff started strong in the final, striking with more force and precision than Muchova to finally win it all.
The American won three straight games and made sure her serves were outstanding, earning 94% of points on her first serve as she finished the opening set in under 30 minutes.
Muchova temporarily dominated the second set, breaking Gauff early to go 2-0 up, but the American responded effectively by winning the next four games and eventually leading 4-3.
Gauff won her eighth career WTA Tour title with an easy hold and another break of serve, and she has only lost one final since turning professional at the age of 14 in 2018.
Gauff will now compete in the Wuhan Open later this week, which will also include top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Briton Katie Boulter. Coco Gauff’s recent success has given her renewed confidence to compete at her greatest level.