Coco Gauff Joins USA Billie Jean King Cup Team After China Open Heroics

Rising American star Coco Gauff, 22, is looking to turn the page on a painful US Open semi-final defeat to new world No. 1 Elena Rybakina and channel that frustration into another deep run at the 2026 China Open in Beijing. After falling in three sets in New York, Gauff told reporters she was “excited to see where my game can take me” as she targets consistency across the season. The Atlanta native has every reason for optimism in Beijing. She has reached at least the semi-finals on her three previous visits, lifting the WTA 1000 trophy in 2024 and posting runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2025. Speaking at her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff revealed that arriving with “zero expectations” helps her relax and swing freely—an approach she credits for her China Open success. The world No. 4 begins her 2026 campaign on 2 October in the Round of 64 against a qualifier, aiming to improve on a 46-12 season that already features back-to-back summer titles in Washington and Cincinnati. Key to her Beijing ambitions will be a higher first-serve percentage—an area she says she has drilled relentlessly since Flushing Meadows—as well as maintaining the aggressive baseline tactics that powered her through Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic en route to the US Open last four. A strong showing this week could propel Gauff past Iga Świątek in the Race to the WTA Finals and keep her in striking distance of Rybakina’s newly claimed top ranking. With a proven hard-court pedigree and the crowd support she routinely enjoys in Asia, the American is once again a title favorite. Fans can watch Gauff’s opener at 7 p.m. local time on the tournament’s centre court and follow her progress on WTA TV and regional broadcasters. If she advances, potential heavyweight clashes with Aryna Sabalenka or hometown hope Zheng Qinwen await in the later rounds. From her candid social-media vow to “be back” after the US Open heartbreak to her no-pressure mantra in Beijing, Coco Gauff’s resilience is on full display. Whether it yields a second China Open crown—or even a climb to world No. 1—the tennis world will be watching every forehand in the Chinese capital this week.