Coco Gauff enters the latest WTA tour stop in Beijing as the No. 3 seed and reigning 2024 champion, but she's treating the tournament as more of a training ground. The 2026 China Open is one of the final tennis events of the year, scheduled for September 30th through October 11th. Gauff moved up in the seedings after Jessica Pegula withdrew from the 96-player field, but she doesn't necessarily have her eye on the title.
Gauff Using 2026 China Open Tennis Schedule to Perfect Her Game
With all four Grand Slams now behind her, the US star views the fall swing as development time. Specifically, she wants to take bigger cuts at the ball and tighten her first-serve numbers before the 2027 season.
"I feel like a lot of the pressure is off," Gauff said. "I don't know why I always do well here, but I always enter this tournament with zero expectations."
Her results in Beijing support that confidence. Across three China Open appearances, she has either won the crown or reached the semifinals. This time around, her draw in Beijing puts her on a second-round collision course with either Camila Osorio or Lanlana Tararudee.
How the Rest of the China Open Draw Shapes Up
Elsewhere in the China Open draw, Gauff and 2023 champion Iga Świątek landed in the same quarter. Meanwhile, top seed Elena Rybakina and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka anchor the opposite halves of the bracket.
Beyond the tournament, Gauff is also chasing a bigger target. She currently sits No. 5 in the WTA Finals race, making the next two weeks in Beijing a key runway into the end of the season.
