Coco Gauff Confronts a Ghostly Stadium in Her China Open Title Defence
Tennis thrives on energy. Cheers. Roars. That electrifying connection between player and crowd. But Coco Gauff endured the contrary on Friday at the China Open.
The generally vibrant Beijing colosseum, home to thousands of passionate suckers, was nearly fully empty. The echo of her steps was her only soundtrack.
The 21- time-old American, defending her China Open crown, faced Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round amid a rare silence. suckers who typically fill the 15,000-seat Diamond Court were conspicuously absent.
Only a sprinkle remained haphazardly in the daisies, a far cry from the usual ocean of applause and signaling banners. For Gauff, who thrives on crowd energy, the experience was a challenge.
The Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre, constructed for the 2008 Olympics and expanded in 2011 to host 11 courts, has long been a hotspot for enthusiastic tennis sympathizers.
SEALED WITH AN ACE @CocoGauff begins her Beijing defense with a convincing 6-4, 6-0 win over Rakhimova #2025ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/BS8zqQdsd9
— wta (@WTA) September 26, 2025
Players frequently admit to addictive gifts, from plush toys to artwork. Speaking last year, Gauff noted, “Honestly, it’s the place I’ve come [where] I’ve gotten the most gifts.” But this time, the affection was missing.
Despite the empty arena, Gauff didn’t let it hamper her performance. She secured the first set 6- 4 against Rakhimova, signalling that her title defence is off to a solid launch.
Ranked third in the world and a two-time Grand Slam winner, she remains one of the sport’s brightest stars. Yet this early-round match posed an unusual internal test; playing in near silence can feel oddly segregating, indeed for the most seasoned challengers.
Before the tournament, Gauff spoke candidly about her mindset heading into Beijing. She admitted that defending her title felt strangely different this year:
“Yeah, I mean, for me, I don’t know why, it just feels different at the end of the year. Although technically I’m the defending champion, it doesn’t feel like that at all.
I don’t want to say ‘not care’ because obviously I’m not playing a tournament and trying to lose or anything. But yeah, there is definitely a weight that you kind of just don’t care in a way, especially when you’ve had like a good moment of the season.”
She even described the tournament as more of a “practice tournament” for her. Despite this candid reflection, Gauff praised Beijing, sharing her admiration for the city and its history:
“I think the culture is really cool and very different from anything. Being from a country like the U.S., which is considered way younger than China.
I think visiting a country with so much history behind it is really cool, just learning about the different dynasties, how everything is kind of intertwined, which we don’t really have that in the U.S., because it is so much a melting pot, whereas here it’s not so.”
Looking ahead, Gauff’s potential path is formidable. If she defeats Rakhimova, she could meet either Belinda Bencic or Jelena Ostapenko in the third round.
Progressing further might see her face Leylah Fernandez, followed by Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, Amanda Anisimova in the semis, and a potential clash with Iga Swiatek in the final.
Coco Gauff’s challenge is clear: to reignite her momentum in a stadium devoid of energy and prove that her game can shine even when the crowd is silent. Can she defend her China Open title under these unusual circumstances? Fans will be watching closely.
Defending a title in unusual conditions is not unique to Gauff; top players sometimes face unexpected challenges on the tour, such as Carlos Alcaraz suffering an ankle injury during the Tokyo Open, which affected his preparation and performance.
