Coco Gauff did not disguise that she was very glad and happy with pulling off one thing that had by no means been finished earlier than because the 20-year-old admits she is now curious to see if and when somebody will emulate her document.
On Sunday, the American tennis star annihilated Karolina Muchova 6-1 6-3 within the Beijing ultimate to assert her second WTA 1000 title. Now, she has seven titles in her assortment and a really spectacular document of 7-1 in her finals performed.
Every of these seven titles got here on laborious courts. By doing so, Gauff is the one participant within the Open Period to have all of her first seven hard-court finals. Her lone ultimate loss got here on the 2022 French Open, when she was ousted by Iga Swiatek on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
Additionally, the 20-year-old turned the primary American since Serena Williams in 2013 to win Beijing.
Following her newest success, the world No. 4 addressed making historical past but in addition becoming a member of the American tennis icon on the Beijing winners record.
“That is fairly cool, contemplating there’s been so many nice gamers earlier than me within the Open Period. Actually, with the stat issues, I really feel like each event, it is a new stat or new document. I am very grateful. I might be excited to see when the following stat is, the following lady, I do not know who, would be the first particular person to do that since Coco Gauff. I am excited to see that, actually,” the 2024 Beijing champion admitted.
“Particularly actually it means quite a bit once I noticed that the final American girl to win this was Serena Williams. Actually, anytime my identify is talked about in no matter sentence hers is, it is like an enormous honor to do one thing nobody has ever finished earlier than. It’s fairly cool. I did not know that was on the road. I do not know if it might have affected my mentality at present. That is fairly cool. I hope any person else breaks it. I believe information are supposed to be damaged, actually.”
Gauff reveals what helped her play so nicely versus Muchova
After struggling all through all the summer time, the fourth-seeded American undoubtedly appeared a bit shaky in a few of her matches on the China Open. On the opposite aspect, the Czech was in completely nice type as she clinched a few very dominant wins earlier than additionally sending Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen packing out of the event.
With that being stated, the sensation was that it was honest to think about Muchova the favourite. However when the ultimate began, Gauff appeared on the market like absolutely the favourite after claiming two breaks within the first set and successful the opener with only one dropped sport.
Whereas the American collapsed a bit firstly of the second set and misplaced the primary two video games, it did not take her lengthy to reply after she earned three breaks in the remainder of the set and conceived no breaks to finish her dominant win.
Later, Gauff shared that her mindset was to consider it as one thing “not life-changing” and attempt to be relaxed to the fullest.
“I used to be tremendous relaxed stepping into. I used to be identical to, I do not know, this match will not be going to vary my life. Whenever you go into matches like that, it is tremendous relaxed. I believe additionally the expertise of successful a 1000-level title previously. Yeah, that event, it was nice confidence. Once more, it did not change my life. I knew whatever the outcome at present, I used to be proud. Actually, I used to be simply telling myself the entire match I am happy with myself, how I used to be in a position to overcome and nonetheless work on issues that I have been working towards on, too, and follow it,” she stated.
Gauff on coming inches away from securing a WTA Finals ticket
By accumulating 1,000 factors in Beijing, the 20-year-old now has 4,968 rating factors on the Race to the WTA Finals and she or he has all however confirmed her place in Riyadh since ninth-placed Danielle Collins has round 1,800 fewer factors.
For the American, it will likely be her third look on the prestigious season-ending event.
“I suppose making Finals actually wasn’t the objective of this event. Actually, I sort of informed my staff I wished to play Beijing. We have been planning on simply coming to Wuhan. I simply felt like I wanted to play, have enjoyable. I get pleasure from Beijing. I really feel like right here, it simply makes me extra targeted in different tournaments simply because it’s so completely different from the place I stay, the place I am from. I believe it enhances my sport,” the world No. 4 famous.
In the meantime, Gauff is now making ready to kick off her marketing campaign at this week’s WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, the place she is the No. 4 seed and performs in opposition to the winner of the match between Ashlyn Krueger and Viktoriya Tomova.
