During the China Open in Beijing on September 29, Coco Gauff secured her spot in the quarterfinals, but not without a fiery mid-match confrontation with Belinda Bencic. The tension flared over accusations of “mind games” as the players battled for dominance on the court.
The clash unfolded in the second set, with Bencic leading 6-4, 2-3 while serving at break point. After Gauff executed a stunning winner following a poorly placed drop shot from Bencic, the Swiss player directed her frustration towards Gauff’s team, demanding they “shut up” and alleging they had cheered prematurely.
“I treat your team with respect, you treat my team with respect,” Gauff retorted, asserting that her camp had remained silent during Bencic’s serve. In her post-match remarks, Gauff reflected on the incident: “They told me she said, ‘Shut up.’ I didn’t hear it, so I can only go based off of what they said. For me, I was telling her to be respectful.”
Bencic later elaborated on the exchange, stating, “When the point is over, it’s no problem, I don’t care. But when I’m going to the line ready to serve, they don’t need to cheer.” Following this incident, Bencic held serve to tie the match at 3-3 but capitalized on Gauff’s frustration, breaking her opponent in the next game after Gauff committed three double faults.
“Immediately after that, next game I was frustrated, threw three doubles,” Gauff admitted. “But after that I was just like, ‘OK, I don’t want to lose anymore after this point.’” The atmosphere intensified further when Bencic approached the chair umpire during the next changeover, prompting Gauff to respond defensively.
“No one’s talking to you, she’s talking to me, OK?” Bencic snapped back. “Your team is chanting! I’m too old for these mind games!” This exchange seemed to shift the momentum in Gauff’s favor. She broke Bencic’s serve in the following game and pushed the match into a second-set tiebreaker, ultimately winning 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Despite the heated moments on court, both players exchanged handshakes at the net. Gauff downplayed the confrontation afterward, suggesting that it may have even benefited her performance. “I was able to just buckle down,” she noted. “I think it was almost good for me in a way. I think I can play sometimes a little bit better when I’m annoyed.”
Gauff acknowledged Bencic’s feelings and expressed respect for her as a competitor. “She’s entitled to how she felt and I’m entitled to how I respond. I obviously have a lot of respect for Belinda. She’s a great player, coming back and playing great tennis as a mom.”
Additionally, Gauff pointed out that the sparse crowd in Beijing amplified the exchanges between both teams. “With no real crowd noise, it probably made the situation seem bigger than it was,” she explained.
The victory not only propelled Gauff into the quarterfinals scheduled for October 2 against Germany’s Eva Lys but also secured her qualification for the WTA Finals in November.
