“Hopefully, I can follow in Carlos’ footsteps,” that’s how Coco Gauff manifested a scene of lifting the China Open trophy. Although she didn’t want to be overconfident, her performance in the final against Karolina Muchova did the talking. The Czech rival was equally rooted alongside Gauff because of the dominance that she had shown in the tournament. However, the story of this final showdown today delivered a clear verdict: Gauff is back.

Coco Gauff added another highlight to her rollercoaster season by clinching the China Open title with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova. This win not only marked Gauff’s second WTA 1000 title but also finally brought an end to her concerning phase. Although she had to make many difficult decisions, including a change to her coaching staff after the US Open, Gauff showed she was back to her best form in this final.

Karolina Muchova, who found it hard to match the young American’s intense form, hilariously acknowledged her strength after the match. “You kicked my bu** today… Literally… Again. You must love to play against me. It was really tough today. It just showed how great of an athlete you are,” Muchova said with a smile. This loss marked the third time Muchova fell to Gauff in straight sets, extending their head-to-head record to 3-0 in favor of the young American.

Gauff dominated the final right from the word go. She opened the match with a 3-0 lead and broke Muchova in a long second game along with holding her own serve with ease. The American sensation hit 10 winners and only made three unforced errors in the first set, while Muchova struggled with several unforced errors, which was exactly the opposite of Gauff’s clean performance.

Another aspect that makes Gauff’s win special is the fact that it’s her first tournament victory since she made a change to her coaching staff, moving from Brad Gilbert to new coach Matt Daly. The partnership seems to be working wonders immediately, as Gauff made fewer errors in Beijing and seemed to be good on her serve too.

With this win, Gauff becomes the first American to lift the China Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2013. This victory also improves her record in WTA finals to an impressive 8-1. Muchova, on the other hand, continues to struggle in finals, dropping to 1-5 in her career. Despite the setback, Muchova showed sporting spirit, wishing Gauff “all the best” for the rest of the season and congratulating her on another well-earned title. But was there anything else apart from her skills that helped Gauff win the China Open title? Well, the American star seems to think so.

Coco Gauff sees the Forbidden City visit as one of the magical reasons behind her win

Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz found an unexpected source of inspiration in Beijing. The two tennis stars took some time off from the competition to explore the Chinese capital together and ended up visiting the famous Forbidden City. Gauff and Alcaraz shared smiles and enjoyed the experience of connecting with the local culture as they were seen dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. The visit, as it turned out, might have done more than just offer them a cultural experience. It might have brought a bit of luck to their tournament runs.

Reflecting on the memorable outing, Gauff shared how she and Alcaraz joked about the visit potentially bringing good fortune. “Carlos and I both went to the Forbidden City earlier this week,” she said. “Someone in the press asked me if it was gonna bring luck. I was like I don’t know, I don’t want to jinx it. Then Carlos won. At that time it was only Round of 16 for me. But I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck,” Gauff added. Shortly after, Gauff followed Alcaraz’s win by capturing her own title in the China Open and made all of it more special.

For Alcaraz, the visit to the Forbidden City was a unique opportunity to experience more of Beijing as it was something he wasn’t able to do last year. “It was a great experience being there,” he said during his pre-tournament press conference. “I couldn’t go around much last year. For me, it’s great to see the culture here in China, and see different things. Being there [in the Forbidden City] was a great experience for me. I’m really happy to be back here again in Beijing.”

With both champions celebrating their victories, the historic site seems to have left a lasting impression on both of them, giving them a reason to be happy with their respective titles.