Speaking ahead of her title defense at the China Open, Coco Gauff outlined a pragmatic approach to the Asian hard-court swing. The 21-year-old has revealed that her focus for the rest of the year is less on immediate results and more on using the stretch as a springboard into next season.
Coco Gauff Has Revealed Her Plans for the Rest of the 2025 Tennis Season
Gauff, 21, has laid out her mindset heading into the Asian hard-court swing, framing it as more of a building block for 2026 than a final push this year. Although the American won her second Grand Slam at this year’s French Open, she has struggled with form since then.
“I got to take a break. Then I’ve just been training in Florida,” the American said. “The focus is really just building for next year and treating this part of the swing kind of as a pre-season almost, which I did that last year. Ended up being successful, so we’ll see. At this point of the year it’s always just looking to how to get better for next year.”
Reflecting on her 2024 Asian swing, she admitted: “Honestly, last year I don’t remember much about how I felt on court. I think it was just like the end of the year. I was just match by match. I was just happy to continue.”
“The things I remember the most are things I did off court,” Gauff revealed. “I did the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, which was really cool. This year, I don’t know, we might go for a temple.” Still adjusting to travel, Gauff noted one ongoing struggle: “I’ve been struggling with sleeping: sleeping too much because of the jet lag, but we’ll see.”
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In October 2024, Gauff won the China Open, defeating Karolína Muchová in the final to claim her second WTA 1000 singles crown. The victory also made her the first player in the Open Era to win each of her first seven hardcourt finals and the second American champion in Beijing after Serena Williams.
A month later, she triumphed at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, becoming the youngest champion at the year-end tournament since Maria Sharapova in 2004 and the first American winner since Williams in 2014. Along the way, she toppled the likes of Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Zheng Qinwen.
How Has Coco Gauff Fared in the 2025 Tennis Season So Far?
Gauff opened her 2025 season in style, going undefeated at the United Cup and leading the United States to victory. At the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals before falling to Paula Badosa, but then suffered a dip with three straight losses, including early exits in Doha and Dubai.
On clay, Gauff surged back to top form, making the final in Madrid and Rome before a memorable run at Roland Garros, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win her second Grand Slam singles crown. However, she has struggled in the ensuing months, falling in the first round at Wimbledon and the fourth round at the US Open, among other early exits.
