Coco Gauff is unstoppable at the China Open. The American No.1 is powering through her matches with little trouble. She’s now heading into the round of 16 after beating Leylah Fernandez. The Canadian put up a tough fight, but Gauff proved stronger. Yet, something is bothering Gauff, and it comes close to what Roger Federer pointed out not long ago.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old dismantled Fernandez in a three-set battle, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes. She’s the defending champion and is showing why she’s ready for a deep run. But after the match, during her press conference, Gauff faced an intriguing question: “What was the biggest challenge today? What adjustments do you feel you made throughout the match to get the win?”

“The conditions were so slow, which I feel like she does well with because she likes to take the ball so early. I felt like my heaviness wasn’t doing much, especially as the balls got older,” the World No.3 admitted. The match really came alive in the second set, with both players trading dazzling returns. Coco Gauff surged ahead 4-2 after producing a brilliant defensive forehand pass, arguably the shot of the match. But serving at 5-2 with a match point in hand, a forehand error gave Fernandez a lifeline. As Gauff’s double faults climbed to nine and her game grew more tentative, Leylah seized momentum and clawed her way back.

“I found when I had new balls, I would win like two or three games in a row,” Gauff explained. “The toughest part was just dealing with the conditions and trying to feel like I could hit through her, but I couldn’t do that as well today as I did earlier this year.”

Just earlier this week, Roger Federer stirred up some buzz at the Laver Cup. On Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, the 20-time Grand Slam champ didn’t hold back. He said uniform court speeds and standardized balls make tennis a bit too predictable. “Obviously, I understand why they do it. It acts as a safety net for the weaker player – he has to hit amazing shots to beat Sinner. On fast courts, he might get past with just a few well-timed hits. That’s the thinking behind these decisions,” Federer explained. It was an analogy for how the courts benefit the ATP No.2 Jannik Sinner, but it seems like it’s become an ongoing topic.

Is he right though? Funnily enough, Sinner himself agrees there’s truth to Federer’s take. The Italian thrives on today’s conditions, which favor consistency and relentless shot-making over one-punch knockout power. This setup gives grinders and clean hitters like him a serious advantage over players relying on risk and timing.

Then there’s Gauff. She entered Diamond Court with a perfect record against Leylah Fernandez, never dropping a set to her, even back in their junior days. The hard court always favored Gauff, but this time, the momentum shifted early. Coco admitted she had to battle nerves to find her rhythm and steady herself. And while she explicitly mentioned the surface was the problem, she wasn’t the only WTA star.

World No. 2 expresses similar concerns to Coco Gauff

On Saturday, Iga Swiatek shared her thoughts on the conditions at the China Open, sparked by Gauff’s recent comments about the court and balls in Beijing. Swiatek absolutely dominated her match against Yue Yuan, dropping just three games in a record-breaking performance. She’s now set to face Camila Osorio in the round of 32, all while chasing World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who’s skipping the tournament.

Swiatek gave a diplomatic take on the conditions but did point out some differences she noticed this time around. When asked if the court felt the same as in 2023, Swiatek replied, “Yes, I would say so.” But she added, “For sure today the conditions were different than previous days,” noting that most of the tournament is expected to be “drier and hotter.”

She emphasized players will have to adjust to that heat, saying, “I think this is what we should, like, adjust to, not today’s weather, because I think it was different than usual.” Overall, she found the courts “pretty much the same” and called the atmosphere “nice.” Swiatek’s stellar record at the China Open, including winning it in 2023, has made her a fan favorite here on the Asian swing.

But now the question is: while Swiatek seems to have found her groove, can Coco Gauff do the same? Coco is gearing up to face Belinda Bencic in the round of 16. Can she get past the Swiss star and punch her ticket to the quarterfinals of this huge WTA 1000 event? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below!