Key Takeaways
- No. 13 seed Elise Mertens defeated third-seeded Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 18 minutes to reach the Beijing quarterfinals.
- Coco Gauff tallied eight double faults and 34 unforced errors, telling her team while trailing in the second set that she had “no energy”.
- Elise Mertens earned her second top-5 win of 2026 and reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2021, setting up a clash with Iga Swiatek.
Struggles on serve derail defending champion in Beijing
Defending champion Coco Gauff saw her China Open campaign unravel swiftly in the round of 16, falling 3-6, 3-6 to Belgium’s Elise Mertens in 1 hour and 18 minutes. The third seed could never find a steady rhythm, encountering major difficulties on her delivery right from the opening games.
Gauff conceded five double faults and dropped serve three times during the opening set alone. Although the 22-year-old American managed to steady her service games after falling behind 0-3 in the second set, she was unable to generate the pressure needed to recover the deficit against the steady Belgian.
Physical struggles and costly errors on court
In total, Gauff accumulated eight double faults and committed 34 unforced errors throughout the contest. Down 1-4 in the second set, her physical struggles became apparent when she voiced concern to her player box, stating that she had “no energy” and felt as though she might “pass out.”
Mertens, seeded 13th in the tournament, maintained composure to secure her place in the Beijing quarterfinals. The triumph marked the world No. 19’s second top-5 victory of the 2026 campaign following her earlier success over Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon, sending her into a WTA 1000 quarterfinal for the first time since 2021.
Celebration and a marquee quarterfinal matchup
Following the win, the 30-year-old dedicated the result to Christopher Heyman, noting that her coach and boyfriend was celebrating a birthday the next day. Mertens now advances to meet Iga Swiatek, who advanced earlier in the tournament by defeating Iva Jovic.
Cori Gauff in 2026
Now the world no.4, Coco played her last match on the 7th of October when she was defeated by world no.19 Elise Mertens 6-3 6-3 in the 4th round in Beijing (draw).
At the moment, during this season Coco achieved a 47-16 record. The American conquered 1 title in Cincinnati.
