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Several notable tennis figures, including Tommy Paul, Christopher Eubanks, and Ben Shelton, congratulated their compatriot Coco Gauff on her 2024 China Open victory. The 20-year-old defeated Karolina Muchova in straight sets to secure the WTA 1000 trophy.
After a subpar campaign at the 2024 US Open, Gauff set aside her disappointment to start the Asian swing on a high note in Beijing. At the China Open, she triumphed over Clara Burel, Katie Boulter, Naomi Osaka, Yulia Starodubtseva, and Paula Badosa, ultimately defeating Muchova in the final to lift the trophy.
Additionally, Gauff made history by becoming the only woman in the Open Era to win her first seven hardcourt finals on the WTA Tour. She also became the first American woman to win the event in Beijing, since Serena Williams claimed the title in 2013.
However, the 20-year-old was not alone in celebrating her China Open win; her compatriots, Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks, expressed excitement on their Instagram stories. Both players shared posters of her victory, with Eubanks highlighting her achievement as the first American woman to win the tournament since Serena Williams.
Watch their Instagram stories below:
In an Instagram post, Gauff reflected on her remarkable China Open campaign and expressed gratitude to her fans for their support.
"I'm happy with the fight I showed during the past two weeks here in Beijing and very grateful to walk away with the @chinaopen title. Thank you for all the love and support," she wrote.
Moreover, World No. 13 Tommy Paul also expressed his excitement in the comments following Gauff's victory.
"Let's go!" He wrote
Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters also celebrated Gauff's achievement by sharing a fire emoji and a flexed bicep emoji in the comments.
Gauff also spoke about her China Open triumph at the press conference.
"It is pretty cool": Coco Gauff on becoming the first woman after Serena Williams to win the China Open triumph
After winning the China Open, Coco Gauff expressed her honor at being equated with Serena Williams. However, she didn't know that she became the first American woman after Williams to win the China Open.
"Especially honestly it means a lot when I saw that the last American woman to win this was Serena Williams. Honestly, anytime my name is mentioned in whatever sentence hers is, it's like a huge honor to do something no one has ever done before. It is pretty cool. I didn't know that was on the line," she said in her press conference.
Gauff added that she hopes that others will break her record, as she believes records are meant to be surpassed.
"I don't know if it would have affected my mentality today. That's pretty cool. I hope somebody else breaks it. I think records are meant to be broken, honestly," she added.
With her victory over Muchova, Gauff improved her season record to 45-14. The 20-year-old will now shift her focus to the Wuhan Open, and she will begin her campaign on Tuesday, October 8.
