Coco Gauff returns to action to defend her China Open crown, stepping back onto the court for the first time since the US Open.
Gauff’s run in New York ended at the hands of Naomi Osaka in the fourth round, falling short of a second straight major after her triumph at Roland Garros.
Some critics questioned Gauff’s approach leading into the tournament, but she has always gone about things her own way. That is part of what makes her so easy to root for.
Her serve has been a point of concern, but with the Asian swing underway, there is hope she can find that consistency again.
Coco Gauff labels the China Open as more of a training exercise
Gauff has consistently praised the China Open, where she defeated Karolina Muchova in last year’s final.
Still, the world number three has admitted that she does not approach the tournament with the same intensity as others, viewing it more as an opportunity to fine-tune her game.
“Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I mean, for me, I don’t know why, it just feels different at the end of the year. Although technically I’m the defending champion, it doesn’t feel like that at all.
“I don’t want to say ‘not care’ because obviously I’m not playing a tournament and trying to lose or anything. But yeah, there is definitely a weight that you kind of just don’t care in a way, especially when you’ve had like a good moment of the season.
“I think winning the French Open helped me take that weight off less. I think last year I did care, but maybe I felt a little bit like I had to do something, because I hadn’t won a big title at that point, at that time of the year yet.
“I don’t know how I feel right now. I definitely feel a lot lighter. It feels, again, like a practice tournament. So we’ll see how it goes,” she admitted in her press conference.
This time around, Gauff will be aiming to match Serena Williams’ two titles at this event, adding another storyline to her return to China.
Gauff shares what she loves about Beijing
The start of the Asian tournaments is always a highlight on the calendar, not just for the prize money, but also because of where they take place.
Gauff is among those who look forward to this part of the tour, and she has spoken about what she enjoys most about being in Beijing before play begins.
“Well, the first thing was the Great Wall. I thought that was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen in person. Especially when you look at how long ago it was built. So that was really cool.
“The Forbidden City, I would like to do it again, the full experience. I only did it, like, 25 minutes with Carlos. He came late, so it got cut short. I didn’t do it that much (smiling).
“I think the culture is really cool and very different from anything. Being from a country like the U.S., which is considered way younger than China. I think visiting a country with so much history behind it is really cool, just learning about the different dynasties, how everything is kind of intertwined, which we don’t really have that in the U.S. because it is so much a melting pot, whereas here it’s not so.
“I think it’s really cool just to do a deep dive. I would say if you’re interested, really try duck here, it’s really good, and go to the Forbidden City and some of the temples. I’m not a Beijing expert, but I had a great time and I definitely recommend people to try.”
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