“Because Coco fights and can fly, she never says good bye. Her serve will become her best shot and she contend again for the number one spot. If she is reprogramed with the more compact explosive ATP FOREHAND, the Delray Dart will be number one in the land. @CocoGauff.” That’s how Rick Macci, Serena Williams’s former coach, put it as he pointed to the flaw that cost Coco Gauff in her US Open round of 16 loss to Naomi Osaka, one that had also shown up earlier in August at the Canadian Open, when she piled up 23 double faults against Danielle Collins. Macci believes that same weakness, if corrected, could ultimately turn into her greatest strength.

But Coco Gauff seems to be working through her adjustments slowly, even with addition of serve doctor, Gavin McMillan. Against Ajla Tomljanović in round one, Gauff piled up 10 double faults, dropped serve six times, and squandered a chance to close it out while serving at 5-4 in the decider. Against Donna Vekic, the serve wobbles continued: seven more double faults, four service games surrendered early, and even a tearful breakdown mid-match. By the time she faced Osaka, the serve wasn’t her only problem, but it still hurt her game: four breaks, five double faults, campaign over. So now that the USTA Clay Court National 12-and-under champion returns to the China Open in Beijing this week to defend her 2024 title, can she make up for that loss?

When and where to catch Coco Gauff, and more tennis highlights this week

Staged on the hard courts of Beijing’s iconic China National Tennis Center, the 12-day tournament (September 24 – October 5) brings together the world’s best players chasing year-end glory. With defending champion Coco Gauff among the top seeds, the field features 96 singles players, 32 doubles teams, an $8.96 million prize purse, along with 1000 ranking points up for grabs. So who are the other players slated for the tournament?

Who’s playing besides Coco Gauff?

Leading the field in Beijing is six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, joined by Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, who makes her return after Wimbledon. Also in the mix are Elena Rybakina, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Clara Tauson.

Adding more star power, Paula Badosa is set to return to the tour, while US Open semifinalist Naomi Osaka and Montreal champion Victoria Mboko also headline the draw. The field is further stacked with former Grand Slam winners, including Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin, Emma Raducanu, Bianca Andreescu, Barbora Krejcikova, and several others.

Where to catch Coco Gauff and more on court

The WTA China Open will be broadcast worldwide across a wide range of networks. Coverage includes DAZN, ESPN, Rush Sports, Tennis Channel, TSN, and TVA in the Americas.

As for the rest of the world: Eurosport, Sky, and Canal+ across Europe; Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland; Sony Sports Network in India and South Asia; CCTV, iQIYI, and Tencent Video in China; WOWOW and NHK in Japan; Nine and Stan Sport in Australia; beIN Sports in the Middle East & North Africa; and SuperSport across Africa.

Interestingly, prize money adds even more weight to the event, with players earning $23,760 for reaching the Round of 96, $35,260 for the Round of 64, $60,400 for the Round of 32, $103,225 for the Round of 16, $189,075 for the quarterfinals, $332,160 for the semifinals, $597,890 as finalist, and a massive $1,124,380 for the champion.

So, with a total of $8.96 million on the line, the Beijing stage guarantees both financial reward and valuable ranking points. And with the Hall of Fame coach backing Coco Gauff, all eyes will be on how her tournament unfolds. So what are your thoughts on her chances at the tournament?