The defending champion made quite a statement at the China Open! Coco Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Belinda Bencic, even after dropping the first set to the Swiss player. The American held her nerve in a tense second-set tiebreak, sealing it when Olympic gold medallist Bencic double-faulted on set point. Frustrated, Bencic hurled her racquet. In the end, Gauff closed it out 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. But that wasn’t the only drama of the night!
For those who missed it, the real tension came during a second-set changeover. Bencic accused Coco’s camp of deliberately breaking her focus.“When I’m going to the line ready to serve, they don’t need to cheer,” she told the chair umpire. Then, snapping in Gauff’s direction, she added sharply: “No one’s talking to you. She’s talking to me, okay! I’m too old for these mind games!”Gauff tried to reply, but Bencic’s stern words cut her off. The fiery exchange instantly went viral.
Asked about it later in her press conference, Coco Gauff admitted she wasn’t fully aware during the match. “Yeah, I mean, I knew she said something to my team, but I didn’t know exactly what. They told me she said, ‘Shut up.’ I didn’t hear it, so I can only go based off of what they said.” The second set was already heating up in terms of tennis, with Gauff finally finding her rhythm.
She had actually started strong, holding serve with command and racing out to a 4-1 lead that suggested a quick first set. But Bencic stormed back, stealing five straight games to snatch it. She then struck early again in the second with a break. The 21-year-old stayed calm, though. After missing her first seven break chances, she finally converted to level things at 4-4. She held serve to force the tiebreak, and suddenly both players locked in stride, playing high-level ball. Through all of it, Gauff’s team remained steady and supportive in her box.
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via Imago
As Gauff later explained, “I mean, I guess she was upset about them cheering. For me, the stadium is silent, so you hear both teams. I played previous rounds, both my matches I could hear the other teams pretty loud and clear, because it is silent. It doesn’t bother me. I was telling her to be respectful. I’ve been nice with her team off court.”
Before the China Open 2025, the two had already built some history. Gauff had met Bencic five times, leading their head-to-head 3-2 before this match (now 4-2). She also held a 3-1 edge in 2025 alone. Their clashes have always been close, shaping into a sharp rivalry on tour.
Now this clash adds another layer to their story. And for Coco, it comes at a moment of change. She just brought biomechanics guru Gavin MacMillan into her team, and her progress shows after a string of early exits post-French Open. Conditions haven’t been easy in China either, but she’s handled them.