BEIJING (AP) — Coco Gauff said she had “no energy” during Wednesday’s China Open defeat to Elise Mertens.
The Wuhan Open revealed Gauff’s withdrawal from the next competition later on Wednesday. The reigning champion, Gauff, was cited as stating, “After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover.”
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What happened | Elise Mertens defeated Coco Gauff 6,3, 6,3 |
| Where | China Open, Beijing, China |
| When | October 7, 2026 |
| Gauff's errors | 34 unforced errors and 8 double faults |
| Mertens' next opponent | Iga Swiatek |
| Current status | Mertens advanced to the quarterfinals |
The fourth-ranked Gauff stopped a rally late in the first set of Monday’s match against local player Sun Xinran when electronic advertising boards on each side of the court flickered.
Sun appeared to be winning the point when Gauff stopped playing. The chair umpire then gave the order to replay the point.
“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” commented Black responder Gauff on X. “It’s crazy how many racist direct messages and comments I’ve received in the past several hours.” Lastly, I’m not a robber or a liar.”
Gauff Runs Out of Energy Against Mertens
Gauff scored eight double faults compared to her opponent’s two and made 34 unforced mistakes compared to Mertens’ 11. When Gauff was broken in the last game of the first set, she committed four double faults.
Gauff informed her staff that she had “no energy” and felt like she was about to faint when she was behind 4-1 in the second set.Mertens said, “I thought she was losing some of her energy.” “I made an effort to challenge myself. However, I am aware that she is a fierce rival. It’s never done to harm her.
Mertens Advances to Face Swiatek
Of course, she’s an amazing player. “I anticipated that the match would be extremely difficult,” Mertens remarked. However, I was motivated. Tomorrow is my boyfriend/coach’s birthday. Thus, we dedicate our victory to him and all of our efforts.”
This year, Mertens’ record versus top-10 opponents improved to 3-3. She also defeated current No. 1 Elena Rybakina in the third round at Wimbledon, where she advanced to the quarterfinals, and reigning champion Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open.
The USTA also revealed on Wednesday that Gauff will participate in the Billie Jean King Cup when the United States visits Hungary.
