It has been an up-and-down season for Coco Gauff. After profitable her first main title on the 2023 US Open, the now 20-year-old began her yr by incomes the trophy at Auckland and reaching the semifinals on the Australian Open however by no means fairly discovered the identical sizzling streak that highlighted her 2023.
Gauff, who received the French Open doubles title and was a flag-bearer for the USA on the Olympics, struggled through the summer time and did not defend her titles at Cincinnati and the US Open, dropping within the Spherical of 32 and Spherical of 16, respectively. Following her disappointing end in New York, she parted methods with coach Brad Gilbert and introduced in Matt Daly as his alternative.
Now, because the season’s finish quickly approaches, it appears as if Gauff has lastly hit her stride once more.
Maybe partly buoyed by the brand new vitality on her staff, or the change of surroundings through the Asian swing of the tour, Gauff received her largest title of the season on Sunday on the 1000-level China Open behind a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova within the closing. With 24 winners and a robust serving efficiency on the day — and epic factors just like the one beneath — Gauff was just about unstoppable towards the equally athletic and resurgent Muchova.
w🤯w is true!@CocoGauff | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/rBaGnNOraj
— wta (@WTA) October 6, 2024
All through her run in Beijing, Gauff was unflappable and recorded a number of comeback victories, together with towards Paula Badosa within the semifinals. With the title — the eighth of her profession — Gauff grew to become the youngest champion on the occasion in 14 years and the primary American since Serena Williams in 2013. She is now 7-1 in singles finals and have become the primary girl within the Open period to win her first seven hard-court finals. Gauff was unaware of that stat when requested about it by a reporter following the match however known as it “fairly cool.”
“I really feel like each match, it is a new stat or new report,” Gauff mentioned. “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.
“It means so much after 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 completed earlier than.”
Gauff now returns to the highest 5, after falling out of it after the US Open, and at present sits within the fifth spot within the race for the year-end WTA Finals. She is subsequent in motion this week at Wuhan, additionally a 1000-level match, and one other title would firmly safe her ticket to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Here is what else you may need missed final week from across the tennis world:
Alcaraz wins once more
Taking part in the boys’s closing on Wednesday (and throwing off nearly everybody’s inside clocks within the sport), Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner on the China Open. As we have come to count on when these gamers meet, it was an amazing battle between two of the brightest younger superstars within the recreation with Alcaraz finally eking out a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory in three hours and 21 minutes. It was the longest match in match historical past.
Alcaraz, who now owns a 6-4 profession report over Sinner and has received all three of their conferences this season, known as his rival “one of the best participant on this planet” after the match.
“He might [have won] in two, I might win in two, he might win in three,” Alcaraz mentioned. “It was a very shut match … The extent that he is enjoying, it is unbelievable. It is a actually top quality of tennis. Of pictures, bodily, mentally, he is a beast.”
Cannot. Cease. CARLITOS 🙌
The second @carlosalcaraz accomplished his 6-7 6-4 7-6 victory over Jannik Sinner for his first #ChinaOpen title! pic.twitter.com/zqCQFwMsJb
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 2, 2024
With the win, Alcaraz returns to the No. 2 spot within the rankings, behind solely Sinner. And regardless of the shut match and their ever-evolving rivalry, the 2 supplied the most recent instance of simply how distinctive tennis is by sharing a personal jet collectively simply hours later as they made their strategy to Shanghai for the following match.
“It is a bizarre factor, however I believe tennis is completely different than different sports activities due to it,” Alcaraz later informed Tennis TV. “As a result of we’re combating towards one another, three-hour match, actually shut … On the finish I bought the win, after which two hours later we’re in the identical aircraft having some laughs, making jokes, speaking about life and appearing like nothing occurred earlier than.”
Each Alcaraz and Sinner had been victorious of their opening two matches in Shanghai and are actually into the Spherical of 16.
And previous to the China Open — which is a 500-level for males — Alcaraz and Gauff had been chosen to symbolize the excursions, visiting the Forbidden Metropolis in conventional clothes for the event. Throughout the trophy ceremony on Sunday, Gauff was requested about their joint go to and the actual fact they’d each gone on to win the titles.
“Somebody in press informed me that it was going to carry me luck,” Gauff mentioned. “And I mentioned ‘I do not know, I do not wish to jinx it.’ Then Carlos received however at the moment it was solely the spherical of 16 for me. I suppose the Imperial Palace introduced us luck and possibly I’ll pay a go to once more subsequent yr and get the identical luck.”
Halep’s return
After receiving a wild card for entry on the Hong Kong 125 Open, Simona Halep notched her first victory in over two years with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Arina Rodionova within the first spherical on Wednesday.
It marked her first match since Might on account of harm and simply her third match since getting back from a doping ban practically two years in the past. Halep was initially given a four-year suspension after testing constructive for roxadustat but it surely was diminished in March to 9 months and he or she was instantly cleared to play. She made her return on the Miami Open later that month. She performed in only one different occasion earlier than her comeback was derailed by a knee harm.
Wednesday’s victory was an emotional one for the previous world No. 1 and two-time main champion.
“Phrases can not describe the sensation of being on the market on courtroom competing — and profitable my first match after such a protracted interval — within the sport I like,” she wrote on Instagram.
Halep, 33, misplaced her subsequent match in straight units to Anna Blinkova on Thursday.
Best introduction of all time?
After a quick tour hiatus following his third-round exit on the US Open final month, Novak Djokovic — who did assist elevate Serbia to victory over Greece in Davis Cup group play within the interim — returned to competitors in Shanghai on Saturday.
And whereas the yr hasn’t precisely gone to plan for the 24-time main champion, Djokovic was nonetheless given maybe the last word hero’s welcome by the match as he was launched to the gang as “the best of all time” whereas taking the courtroom for his opening match towards American Alex Michelsen.
Most match wins (34) ✅
Most titles (4) 🏆Probably the most profitable participant in #RolexShanghaiMasters historical past, Novak Djokovic, returns for the primary time since 2019!
WATCH LIVE -> https://t.co/hOHmv2wMlX pic.twitter.com/LCuUKOtzp8
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 5, 2024
In his first match in China since 2019, the 37-year-old Djokovic was challenged by Michelsen and wanted tiebreakers in each units, however bought the straight-set victory to advance. Regardless of the take a look at and a few rust, Djokovic was clearly thrilled by how the day transpired.
“As we speak on the courtroom was marvelous,” Djokovic mentioned later. “To expertise the introduction and the help and love from Chinese language followers on this manner is precisely the explanation why I got here.”
Osaka making strikes
Nearing the top of her first yr again on tour following maternity depart, former No. 1 Naomi Osaka is now simply exterior the highest 50 after a fourth-round run on the China Open. The four-time main champion, who recorded a three-set win over No. 21 seed Yulia Putinseva within the second spherical, seemed to be getting ready to her largest win of the season towards Gauff within the Spherical of 16 earlier than retiring on account of a again harm forward of the third set.
After Gauff graciously helped Osaka off the courtroom, Osaka defined on social media that she had “locked [her] again up” in follow forward of the match and it bought progressively worse as play went on. “Completely value it although,” she added.
Lending a serving to hand 💜@CocoGauff helps her opponent off the courtroom after Naomi Osaka is compelled to retire on account of a decrease again harm.
Gauff advances to the #ChinaOpen quarterfinals with the rating at 3-6, 6-4, RET. pic.twitter.com/ahm3pavauj
— wta (@WTA) October 1, 2024
Whereas not the consequence she had needed — and he or she has since needed to withdraw from Wuhan qualifying and the upcoming Japan Open due to the harm — the China Open additionally marked Osaka’s first with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou. After parting methods with Wim Fissette final month, Osaka introduced in Williams’ (and Halep’s) former coach and informed reporters forward of the China Open she hoped it could be a “long-term” partnership. She additionally admitted she was nonetheless “somewhat nervous round him” due to his popularity.
“I believe the truth that he was Serena’s coach for me made me wish to keep away from him simply because his persona is so large,” Osaka mentioned. “Like, this is not impolite as a result of I came upon it isn’t true, however I did not know — this sounds so unhealthy — I did not know if he was a superb coach or he coached Serena. Does that make sense? I am like, I am simply going to do my very own factor.
“Then I met him, talked to him, labored with him on the courtroom. He completely is a very good coach. I am actually glad that he is taking this undertaking on, as properly.”
And Mouratoglou appeared fairly happy with their debut occasion collectively, calling the expertise “so wealthy in phrases [of] studying.”
Adjustments for Crew Iga
Osaka and Gauff aren’t the one ones shaking issues up with their groups earlier than yr’s finish. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek introduced the top of her three-year partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski on Friday.
Swiatek received 4 of her 5 main titles and took excessive rating for the primary time with Wiktorowski by her facet. He was additionally along with her throughout her 37-match win streak in 2022.
Swiatek thanked him for his assist and steerage in an Instagram publish.
“Our major objective was to grow to be [the] No. 1 participant on this planet and coach Wiktorowski was the one who mentioned it first,” she wrote. “We aimed very excessive, we headed to each match with a transparent objective to win it … it occurred due to my total sports activities staff.”
Swiatek, who hasn’t performed since dropping within the quarterfinals on the US Open early final month, added she could be spending a “couple of weeks” to discover a new coach and was in talks with “coaches from overseas” as she was “able to take the following step” in her profession.
She has withdrawn from this week’s match in Wuhan and it’s unclear when she subsequent plans to play. She has already clinched her spot for the WTA Finals, which will get underway on Nov. 2.
Cuteness alert
If you happen to’re searching for one thing to brighten your day, please watch this lovely dialog between Matteo Berrettini and the 7-year-old tasked with accompanying him onto the courtroom forward of his second-round match on Monday in Shanghai.
Making new associates 🥹@MattBerrettini #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/518YhtEwCf
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 7, 2024
Berrettini ended up dropping to Holger Rune 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, however even that should not change simply how cute this encounter was.
