Defending champion Coco Gauff battled through both a slow start and an unexpected on-court dispute to reach the quarter-finals of the 2025 China Open. The World No. 3 fought past Belinda Bencic 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in a tense round of 16 clash that featured more than just high-quality tennis.
A Rivalry Rekindled
Bencic, who defeated Gauff earlier this season at Indian Wells, looked poised to repeat the feat after grabbing the opening set and applying pressure with her aggressive baseline play. But Gauff, lifted by the Beijing crowd and her team’s vocal support, dug deep to force a second-set tiebreak before turning the match around in the decider.
Bencic vs Gauff – Full Match Stats
| Statistic | Bencic | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.82 | 1.22 |
| Serve Rating | 245 | 267 |
| Aces | 0 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 5 | 8 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% (74/114) | 66% (61/93) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 64% (47/74) | 72% (44/61) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 48% (19/40) | 53% (17/32) |
| Break Points Saved | 67% (8/12) | 57% (4/7) |
| Service Games | 73% (11/15) | 80% (12/15) |
| Ace % | 0% | 4.3% |
| Double Fault % | 4.4% | 8.6% |
| Return Rating | 138 | 149 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 28% (17/61) | 36% (27/74) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 47% (15/32) | 53% (21/40) |
| Break Points Won | 43% (3/7) | 33% (4/12) |
| Pressure Points | 58% (11/19) | 42% (8/19) |
| Service Points | 58% (66/114) | 66% (61/93) |
| Return Points | 34% (32/93) | 42% (48/114) |
| Total Points | 47% (98/207) | 53% (109/207) |
| Match Points Saved | 1 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 6 |
| Service Games Won | 73% (11/15) | 80% (12/15) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (3/15) | 27% (4/15) |
| Total Games Won | 47% (14/30) | 53% (16/30) |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 3 |
| Match Duration | 2h 31m | |
The Flashpoint
The turning point wasn’t only on the scoreboard. During a changeover, Bencic voiced frustration to the chair umpire about Gauff’s box allegedly distracting her during service games. Gauff stepped in to defend her team, sparking a sharp retort from the Swiss player:
“No one’s talking to you,” Bencic snapped. “She’s talking to me, okay! Your team is chatting. I’m too old for these mind games, okay!”
The incident briefly overshadowed the action, but the match continued without further flare-ups.
Gauff Clears the Air
While she avoided the subject during her on-court interview, Gauff addressed the dispute in her post-match press conference.
“I knew she said something to my team, but I didn’t know exactly what,” Gauff explained. “They told me she said, ‘Shut up.’ I didn’t hear it, so I can only go based off what they said. I mean, I guess she was upset about them cheering. For me, the stadium is silent, so you hear both teams. In previous rounds, I could hear the other teams pretty loud too.”
The American emphasized that she tried to handle the situation with respect, stressing that she has no desire for on-court confrontations.
“I was telling her to be respectful. I’ve been nice with her team off court. I just didn’t like that comment toward my team. But we moved on after that. I’m not a confrontational person. I don’t like having confrontation on the court. I definitely don’t like that. It happens — it’s sport. I’m happy today went my way.”
Quarter-Final Clash Ahead
With the drama behind her, Gauff now turns her attention to the quarter-finals, where she will face Germany’s Eva Lys — one of the breakout stories of the tournament after stunning Elena Rybakina and McCartney Kessler. The defending champion will be tested again, but with her composure intact, Gauff remains firmly on course in Beijing.