Coco Gauff makes history after securing the China Open title

CNN
—

US tennis star Coco Gauff stormed to victory in the China Open final on Sunday, defeating Karolina Muchová 6-1, 6-3.

The straight-sets win makes the 20-year-old the first American to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 2013 – she now has eight WTA titles to her name.

Gauff also made WTA history and was the first woman to win her first seven hard court finals in the Open era.

“I want to congratulate you, Karolina. Nice to see you on tour again. I think you’re a great player and you deserve everything,” Gauff said in her post-game interview, before thanking her own team for their support throughout the season.

It was an impressive performance from Gauff, who wasted no time in asserting her authority in the final by completing the first set in 30 minutes, a remarkable feat considering Muchová’s recent performance.

The Czech star player, who has struggled with injuries this season, would be confident of her chances on Sunday given recent wins against US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

But in truth, she couldn’t match Gauff’s physicality as the American dominated throughout, making just eight unforced errors while Muchová made 24 errors.

Gauff’s previous problems with her serve briefly surfaced at the start of the second set, allowing Muchova to take a 2-0 lead, but Gauff was able to hit back immediately to restore her control of the game.

The title was Gauff’s first in nine months and the first after she added Matt Daly to her coaching staff following her decision to leave her long-time coach Brad Gilbert last month.

Gilbert was part of a coaching team that helped Gauff improve her form in 2023 and claim her first Grand Slam with victory at last year’s US Open and titles in Cincinnati and Washington.

Gauff will next play at the Wuhan Open as she continues to climb the rankings.