Coco Gauff walked into Beijing as defending champion, riding the wave of her French Open triumph and strong season form. She looked to continue that momentum and make history—back-to-back titles at a WTA 1000 event. But that quest came to a brutal, shocking end.
In the semis, Gauff faced Amanda Anisimova and was dismantled 6-1, 6-2 in just 58 minutes. The loss was swift, decisive, and full of painful contrast for the star who entered the match with title hopes. Anisimova dominated both sets from the start—jumping to 5-0 leads, breaking serve at will, and leaving little room for Gauff to breathe.
Before that, Gauff had extended her run by defeating Eva Lys in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in the quarters, holding off her challenger despite early pressure. That win also secured her a spot in the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, marking her fourth consecutive qualification for the year-end event. That consistency under pressure is part of her brand—resilient, reliable, present in big moments.
But the semis showed cracks. Gauff’s serve wavered. She looked off-rhythm. Against Anisimova, she was outgunned in intensity and aggression. After the match, she made waves again—comparing Anisimova’s grinding style to Aryna Sabalenka’s power, suggesting she saw echoes of Aryna’s dominance in her opponent that day.
So what does this moment mean? It’s a career test: rebuilding form, handling tough losses, and showing whether she can bounce back. Gauff is still in the WTA Finals, still one of the top names, but this defeat just handed her a fresh challenge—a chance to reinvent her return path and prove that comebacks are part of her story, too.
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