Gauff gets back into 'match mode' with gritty Beijing opening win over Osorio

BEIJING -- Coco Gauff's three-year streak of reaching at least the semifinals of the China Open was put to test Saturday, but with a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2 gritty win over Camila Osorio, the 2024 Beijing champ is through to the third round.

It wasn't easy as Osorio broke Gauff's serve five times and won just four less total points than the American. There were multiple times Gauff was visibly upset with her performance, even during the first set which she had won, particularly when Gauff had a 5-2 first set lead be dwindled into the tiebreak. 

In three previous Beijing opening matches, Gauff had won all in straight sets, and after a stressful test, Gauff will face the winner of Cristina Bucsa and Chinese junior No. 1 Sun Xinran. She has now won seven of eight opening WTA 1000 matches this season with the lone defeat coming to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Doha. 

"I think just the reset in the third," Gauff said to press on what she was most pleased with Saturday. "Honestly, I don't know, there was a moment in the match I got really frustrated. I feel Camila is that type of player [who] can really frustrate you. I was able to rest for the third set, so just to be able to forget about the second set."

Gauff played her first match back since a semifinal run at the US Open, and Saturday was the first time she played Osorio on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. As it was her first match in nearly three weeks, Gauff was focused on getting back into "match mode," and felt that it was a good transition into the final part of the season despite the uneasiness.  

"I think this time of the year, it's really a final push and I think today was a good match to start of the Asian Swing." 

Furthermore, China has been one of Gauff's hottest stops on the WTA Tour. Her win marked Gauff's 23rd win at a WTA event in China, and her 88.4% win rate (23-3 record) in China is the best of any player this century (minimum 10 matches). In addition to Beijing two years ago, Gauff won Wuhan in 2025.

Ahead of the tournament, Gauff said she feels a bit more relaxed this time of year, and that there's "a lot less chaos" with the Grand Slams being complete. 

"I just go into this swing always just trying to push," Gauff said. "This is the final push for the Finals, the final push of the year. Every match counts. Every match counts throughout the season, but even more so now I feel like.

"I think knowing that I have good results here in China maybe allows me to be more confident, especially when the matches get tough."