China Open 2024 Final Preview: Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova clash for the crown

Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff will face off in an exciting China Open final this Sunday. The Czech defeated home hero Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, while the American staged a comeback against Paula Badosa to secure another WTA 1000 final appearance.

Gauff leads the head-to-head with victories in their only two encounters, including the 2023 Cincinnati Open final and the US Open semifinals. This will be Muchova’s chance for revenge as she seems to be playing the best tennis of her career.

The Czech has an impressive 17-4 record this season (11-2 on hardcourts), and it only took her a few months to regain her form after a 10-month injury layoff, which began at the 2023 US Open. Muchova has already secured a return to the top 30 and will play her second final of the season.

"I said it in the past, I didn’t know how this year would look, whether I would play, whether I wouldn't, or what my level would be," said Muchova. "Making the final here, it’s just so nice. Such a nice feeling."

In her first four matches, Muchova advanced by conceding just 12 games in total, averaging 3 games per match. In the quarterfinals, she faced top seed Aryna Sabalenka and secured a surprising victory (7-6, 2-6, 6-4) before overcoming the 5th seed Zheng Qinwen, who was in exceptional form with 20 wins in her last 22 matches. Muchova won in straight sets and will compete for the title on Sunday against Coco Gauff.

The last time Muchova reached a final was at the Palermo Open two months ago, where she lost to Zheng. This time, she took revenge on the gold medalist in the semifinals, winning 6-3, 6-4, and will now play her second WTA 1000 final, again facing Gauff.

"I'm happy to be in the final," Gauff said after coming from a set and a break down to defeat Badosa in the semifinals. "Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it," added the world No. 6.

Coco didn’t have the best results in the US Open Series, which resulted in a significant drop in points and rankings. It also marked the end of her relationship with coach Brad Gilbert after a year of working together and multiple titles. However, the change seems to have been positive for the 2023 US Open champion, as she has rediscovered her form this week in Beijing.

With wins over players like Katie Boulter (26th seed), Naomi Osaka, and now Paula Badosa (15th seed), Gauff enters the final as the slight favorite. "Has this week been my best tennis? In moments, yeah. I think today I reached some levels where I was playing my best tennis. Obviously, that’s not the case for the whole match. That’s tennis, that’s life."