“This time, when the pressure is on the line, I was just trying to force myself to do things I was uncomfortable with,” confessed Coco Gauff  last season after winning her maiden title in Beijing. In the final, the two-time Grand Slam champion bested Karolina Muchova in straight sets. “So yeah, I think the result is now reassurance that I am in the right direction.” One year on her words seem prescient, as she kept herself alive at the China Open yet again, despite a challenging battle. She also reached a big career milestone in the process.

Gauff has lacked consistency lately and was under pressure to deliver against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. Their R32 match made it evident as well as Fernandez gave her a run for her money. After Gauff snatched the first set, the Canadian made a sensational return in the next one and pushed the result into a decider. The last set turned into a cliffhanger to say the least. Gauff was leading 4-2 at one point and was serving for the match before Fernandez broke her and brought the score line to 5-5.

But the 21-year-old didn’t give up and held her nerves to eventually beat the Canadian with a score line of 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 after two hours and 45 minute marathon. It was Gauff’s 150th WTA-tour level win on a hard court, making her the youngest to achieve the feat since Caroline Wozniacki in 2011, according to OptaAce.

During the post-match interview, she revealed, “It was very physical. We were going back and does.” Regarding her performance, which was surely not up to the mark, she admitted, “The third set I was playing pretty well. I could serve a bit better, but I did what I needed to do to win today.”

Yes, the result was in her favor but Gauff committed 9 double faults in the process. In comparison, Fernandez had just two. It is one crucial issue that the American needs to work on. Simply because her double fault count has been on the rise in majority of the events. For example, last month at the Canadian Open, she committed 43 DFs in just three matches. This problem has been growing since the beginning of the season. It becomes evident from the fact that she had 42 double faults at the Italian Open, back in May. And the count was 38 back in March during the Indian Wells.

But coming back to the season, what could be her main goal next?

Coco Gauff looks to boost confidence with a title in Beijing ahead of WTA Finals

While she may not be going through a perfect form, Coco Gauff will look to build a much-needed momentum. Especially ahead of the year-end WTA Finals event in Riyadh. Her only title this season came in June when she won her second slam at the French Open. Since then, the World No.3 has struggled to make deep runs in most of her campaigns.

At Wimbledon, she was ousted in the first round by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. In Montreal, teenage sensation Victoria Mboko edged her out in the fourth round. Then Italy’s Jasmine Paolini bested her in the QF stage in Cincinnati. If that wasn’t enough, the American even failed to shine at her home slam in New York. Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka defeated her in the fourth round.

At the China Open, however, it seems the defending champion has managed to regain her lost spirits. She will look to reclaim a second trophy in Beijing after last season.

Winning the title win may give her a huge advantage mentally. After all, she is the defending queen of the year-end tournament featuring the top eight WTA stars in the world. In 2024, Gauff beat Qinwen Zheng to win her maiden WTA Finals trophy alongside a whopping prize money of $4.8 million.