Two of tennis’s brightest young stars, Coco Gauff and Leylah Fernandez, are set to light up Beijing as they collide in a highly anticipated third-round showdown at the China Open. Gauff, having received a first-round bye, eased into the tournament by defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-0, overcoming eight break points in a tense first set before dominating the second.
Gauff arrives in Beijing carrying both confidence and pressure. Her 2025 season so far has featured deep runs on hard courts: she has won 38 of her 29 matches on hard courts this year. She has 1,000 ranking points to defend as the reigning China Open champion. Fernandez, on the other hand, dispatched Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-0 to reach this stage, her first win in four attempts over the former top 10 player.
Coco Gauff vs Leylah Fernandez Match Details
Date: Sept. 28, 2025
Tournament:Â China Open 2025
Round:Â Round of 32
Venue:Â National Tennis Center, Beijing, China
Category:Â WTA 1000
Surface:Â Outdoor Hard Court
Live Telecast:Â Tennis Channel, TVA, TSN, ESPN International
Gauff vs. Fernandez Head-to-Head
Gauff and Fernandez have met twice on the professional stage, with the former leading 2–0 in head-to-head matches. Their encounters include a match in the United Cup in December 2024 (where Gauff won 6-3, 6-2) and their most recent clash at the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne, where Gauff prevailed 6-4, 6-2 in the third round.
The Melbourne match was played at Margaret Court Arena and lasted around one hour and 35 minutes.
Gauff vs. Fernandez Prediction
Gauff enters this matchup with strong numbers that underscore her consistency on hard courts in 2025. Sitting at No. 3 in the rankings with a 38–13 win–loss record this season, Gauff has demonstrated her ability to back up her athletic baseline game with reliable serving. She has struck 148 aces across 51 matches, though the flip side is her 347 double faults, which sometimes leave her second serve vulnerable.
Even with that, she has managed to win 68.5% of her service games and 69.1% of first-serve points, a solid base that helps her stay in control of matches. On return, her 45.9% return games won and 48.8% of overall return points won highlight her capacity to consistently put pressure on opponents.
Leylah Fernandez is known for her counterpunching ability and tactical adaptability. She often looks to disrupt rhythm rather than overpower. Her serving is not as heavy as Gauff’s, but she relies on placement and consistency to stay in rallies.
With Gauff’s stronger serving metrics, higher return conversion, and her history of straight-sets wins over Fernandez, she remains the favorite in Beijing. If Fernandez can neutralize Gauff’s serve and exploit the double faults, she may stretch the match, but the overall balance still leans toward Gauff.
Prediction: Gauff to win in three sets
