Lessons from the WNBA’s A’ja Wilson guide Gauff in Asian swing resurgence

There’s a lot Coco Gauff could credit for her victory last week at the WTA 1000 China Open. Her competitiveness, which helped her come from a set down three times in five victories before she dominated Karolina Muchova in Sunday’s final. Her new coaching setup, which debuted in Beijing and now consists of Matt Daly alongside Jean-Christophe Faurel. Or the loosening of expectations, in which she told reporters she was treating the event as a “practice” week to start employing some of what she and the team had been working on.

But a sleeper pick? How about Inspiration from three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. While Gauff captured her eighth Hologic WTA Tour singles title, Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces had their quest for a third straight championship cut short over the weekend by the New York Liberty. Speaking to reporters Tuesday ahead of her Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open debut, Gauff shared that she drew inspiration from Wilson’s candid view on basketball’s unpredictability to reflect on her own season.

Wuhan: Scores | Schedule | Draws

Gauff’s victory in Beijing marked her first title since January, when she defended her WTA 250 ASB Classic crown in New Zealand. It also made her only the second American to win the singles title in the two-decade history of the China Open. However, the win came after a challenging stretch, where Gauff reached just one quarterfinal in the nearly four months between Roland Garros and Beijing. This included a disappointing fourth-round exit at the US Open, where she fell to fellow American Emma Navarro, a match highlighted by Gauff’s 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors.

“People don’t realize people have great moments in sports and bad moments. It doesn’t mean anything,” Gauff said. “I took inspiration from A’ja Wilson. Back to back champions. People wanted them to three-peat. She’s kind of like, ‘It’s hard to stay winning all the time.’

“You need to go through losses to realize what you need to do to evolve. Tennis fans need to be more accepting of that.

Gauff reflected on the misconceptions about her season, noting that while some may have considered it a disappointment, she didn’t feel that way. After all, she reached two Grand Slam semifinals and secured a title before her win in Beijing. She emphasized the difficulty of maintaining top form throughout the long tennis season, which stretches from January to November. While a few tough tournaments are inevitable, she explained, players know they can bounce back — even if fans might not always see it that way.

Gauff now shifts her focus to Wuhan, where she’ll face Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova in the second round on Wednesday. Only one player has ever captured both Beijing and Wuhan titles back-to-back — Caroline Garcia, whose red-hot finish to the 2017 season vaulted her into the Top 5. As for any external pressure to repeat that feat, Gauff remains unfazed.

Why fix what isn’t broken, after all?

“I’m just taking it day by day,” Gauff said. “Last week was treating it like practice. I think even more so now just because it was, like, two long weeks in Beijing. Here it’s a quick turnaround. Only hit once today. I play tomorrow. I think it’s just handling the conditions. The result right now, whether it’s good or bad, it is what it is.

“I’m working on things. It’s kind of just, like, getting through these tournaments. Last week’s results, I don’t think anybody on the team was expecting it, even me, until the final. Then it’s like, OK, you’re there. … But it is great to play some good tennis after not playing so great for the past few weeks.”