World No.4 Coco Gauff expressed relief after claiming her first WTA title since January, attributing part of her success to a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City with men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The American cruised past Czech player Karolina Muchova to win the China Open, securing her 8th career title.
The 2023 US Open champion triumphed 6-1, 6-3 in just one hour and 17 minutes.
After the match, Gauff jokingly credited her improved form to the visit with Alcaraz.
“I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck, so maybe I’ll visit again next year to get the same luck,” she told the appreciative Chinese crowd.
Coco Gauff. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Gauff was pleased to win her first final since her Auckland victory at the beginning of the year.
