Gauff defeats young Sun Xinran and praises her talent

Coco Gauff has defeated Sun Xinran with a score of 7-5 6-1 to reach the round of 16 at the WTA Beijing 2026. However, the young Chinese tennis player, aged 16, put the American under pressure at times in the first set, which she has not hesitated to praise and predict a bright future for after experiencing her potential firsthand. 

Sun came from defeating Eva Lys and Cristina Bucsa in the first two rounds, and in the first set against Gauff, she held her ground until 5-5. From there, her game fell apart, and in the second set, she collapsed to eventually lose 6-1. Comparisons between Coco and Xinran have quickly emerged, although the American said in a press conference that "we play very differently. She hits the ball more flat, although she returns many balls like I do. I feel like we play somewhat differently; I didn't feel like myself. I was playing against a girl who is going to be a great player for many years, and that relieved some pressure. Even next year, she will be a great player. She is one of those players you know will do well; it’s just a matter of time."

Sun, motivated for the future

The truth is that Xinran has perfectly seized the wildcard received to showcase her talent and present herself among the big names on the WTA circuit. Now the pressure on her figure will increase, but she also gains a lot of clarity. "This tournament gave me the opportunity to face high-level players. From the first to the third round, it's noticeable that the ranking of the opponents is rising. This shows that I have the ability to compete against them. It truly motivates me to keep improving," she concluded in a press conference, a player who will soon be competing regularly in such scenarios.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff tumba a la joven Sun Xinran y se rinde a su talento