Eight months ago in Dubai, Elise Mertens met Coco Gauff on the back of losses in all four of their past meetings. But Mertens saw hope as she held three match points to finally claim a redemption. Yet she let every one of them slip, and left the court longing for another chance.
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But her coach, Christopher Heyman, saw something different that day. He saw a player who had the firepower to beat one of the best in the world. In Beijing, Mertens did not just find an antidote to the Dubai pain, but also gave a perfect gift to someone who never stopped believing.
“I knew it was gonna be a very tough match, I had motivation,” she said after clinching her win. “My coach… my boyfriend, it’s his birthday tomorrow. For me, this win is dedicated to him and all the work we do.”
On her way to the third round of the China Open, she finally took down Gauff for the first time ever, in straight sets. However, what added to the victory was the joy of being able to reward the person who has been alongside her through all her heartbreaks for the past three years, both on and off the court.
Before Heyman joined Mertens’ team in June 2023, she had a dominating run in doubles. At the time, she won three Grand Slam titles, two of which came alongside Aryna Sabalenka and one with Hsieh Su-wei. However, her singles performance was one glaring issue that needed fixing. And with Heyman on her side, Mertens embarked on a journey to get out of that slump.
Her first shot at redemption came after she defeated the top-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-0 at the 2023 Jasmin Open. This was followed by her first win in the Top 10 in a major, where she defeated Elena Rybakina on her way to the Wimbledon quarterfinal earlier this year. And it seems like she is carrying the same momentum in her singles campaigns since.
But the Belgian’s North American hardcourt season told an entirely different story. It came to a difficult end after a well-fought 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 loss to Naomi Osaka in the US Open. However, after getting the much-needed win over Coco Gauff in Beijing, she might finally find her footing. And doing it alongside her partner and coach made it all the more memorable.
Elise Mertens Snaps Coco Gauff’s Glorious Streak in China
Coco Gauff made four main draw appearances at the China Open, but her worst result came against an opponent she had dominated for over five years. In 2023, coming fresh off her US Open title win, Gauff was seeded third in the event and played with a hunger for the title.
She exited the tournament after losing to Iga Swiatek in the semifinal of the tournament. However, she returned the next year and claimed the title, besting Karolina Muchova in straight sets. The following year as well, she carried the same momentum and made it to the semifinals, but fell short against Sara Bejlek. However, she did not expect to not even make it to the final stages the following year.
In the Round of 16 clash against Mertens, Gauff dropped her serve four times, hitting eight double faults and committing 34 unforced errors. She claimed her ordeal with racist comments too played a part in hampering her mental health ahead of the match.
“It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” Gauff said at the post-match press conference. “I think today I was just a bit flat. I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well. There were a lot of things I didn’t do well.”
Hence, for Gauff this loss will be an experience she will hope to learn from and get back on her feet. As for Mertens, this becomes an important stepping stone to gain back her spot in the Top 12.