Gauff Crashes Out of Beijing as Mertens Ends Champion's Run After 'Draining' Week

Coco Gauff is out of the China Open. The third seed and 2024 Beijing champion suffered a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Elise Mertens in the last 16 on Wednesday, bringing a difficult week in the Chinese capital to an abrupt close. The 22-year-old American never found her rhythm across the 78-minute contest, piling up 34 unforced errors and eight double faults. Trailing 4-1 in the second set, she told her team courtside she had no energy and felt as though she might pass out. Mertens, the 13th seed, stayed composed on the biggest points and punished every dip in the defending champion's level. The loss capped a draining few days for Gauff, who had revealed after her win over teenager Sun Xinran on Monday that she had been subjected to a torrent of racial abuse on social media following a replayed point that sparked an online backlash. She told reporters afterwards she was simply trying to switch off her phone and move on. For Mertens, the victory was a breakthrough years in the making. The Belgian reached her first Beijing quarter-final in seven appearances at the WTA 1000 event, despite having lost all five of her previous meetings with Gauff. She dedicated the win to her coach and partner Christopher Heyman ahead of his birthday, and will now face six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who advanced earlier in the day with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Iva Jovic.