Gauff and the alternation of champions in the Grand Slams: "It's not surprising"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 28 Sep 2026 | 15:57
WTA Cori Gauff WTA Pekín 2026 Rueda de prensa

The American will seek her second title in Beijing, and could face Rybakina in the semifinals, whom she believes is "at her best moment."
 

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Gauff and the alternation of champions in Grand Slams: "It's not surprising." Photo: Getty Images

Coco Gauff is already in China to compete for her second title at the WTA 1000 in Beijing. Last year, she was on the brink of defending her title, but Amanda Anisimova prevented her, and this time she seeks to make up for her semifinal loss at the US Open, where she fell to the new world number one, Elena Rybakina.

The Kazakh arrives in China after winning the US Open and adding her second Grand Slam of the year following the Australian Open, thus confirming the alternation of Grand Slam champions in recent years. In fact, since Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2020 and the Australian Open in 2021, no player has linked two consecutive 'majors'.

This is a situation Coco Gauff spoke about during her media day, affirming that it does not surprise her at all. Additionally, she explained how she tries to motivate herself in these final months of the season without Grand Slams and also stated that she arrives at the WTA 1000 in Beijing without any expectations. At the same time, she did not hesitate to praise Rybakina's current form.

Gauff eager to fight for the title at the WTA 1000 in Beijing

"I am very excited to be back here. Honestly, I have no expectations this week. I don't know why I always play well in this tournament, but I always come here without expecting anything. Maybe that's why I've done so well. But I am very happy to be back here."

Gauff explained that she aims to improve her tennis with a view towards 2027

"I want to take a bit more risk with my shots, try to be a bit more aggressive. I also want to improve my first serve percentage. I win a lot of points when my first serve goes in, so I'm trying to increase that number and hit more first serves. Yes, those are the main things. Without revealing too much, that’s all I can say."

"Now that the Grand Slams are over, I feel a lot of pressure has lifted. As I said, I'm trying to treat these tournaments more like a preparation month for next year. I think that's one of the reasons why I might play well at this time of the season: because I'm a bit more relaxed. Being in China also helps a lot. I get a lot of support here. They give me many gifts. I think that makes everything a bit lighter. The key is that the Grand Slams are over, and now there is much less chaos."

Gauff sees no link between social media use and poor performance on the court

"There is no correlation. It’s funny. A typical training day for me at home is about five hours: two and a half hours on the court in the morning, an hour and a half in the afternoon, and another hour and a half in the gym. And that doesn’t include warm-up and recovery. Filming a TikTok might take about 30 seconds. So there definitely is no correlation."

"Tennis may not be used to seeing other personalities. And I think that’s a good thing. It allows us to connect with the fans. They like it, and I like it too. It gives me the opportunity to show another side of myself. I don’t know. I think if I weren’t playing tennis, I would still be on social media."

Gauff is not surprised by the variety of Grand Slam champions

"I don’t think there’s a theory. I feel like Elena has always been a top-level player. I think she just had some issues with injuries and maybe consistency. Obviously, she was also going through her own situations. Now it seems everything has come together. So I’m not surprised at all that she has won two Grand Slams this year."

"Women’s tennis has been a bit unpredictable in recent years. I wouldn’t say surprising, but it can seem that way to fans. In men’s tennis, there’s much more consistency, so for some people, what we have might seem more unexpected. But among the players, it’s not a surprise. We train and compete against them. No one is surprised that Mirra has won. No one is surprised that Linda has won. I think that happens with many players in the Top 10."

In the end, it all depends on who is able to seize opportunities when they arise. I think Elena is a player who will keep winning for a long time because of the weapons she has. I’m not surprised. I don’t have any theory. I think when you reach a certain age, things start to fall into place. You start to play better and become more consistent. That’s what’s happening to her right now: she’s at her best. I think she will win many more titles. I hope I don’t lose to her in more semifinals, because it has already been two in a row, but maybe next time it will go my way," concluded a Coco Gauff who seeks to end 2026 in the best way possible.
 

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