Coco Gauff admits it's 'tough' to beat Amanda Anisimova & Aryna Sabalenka at their peak after heartbreaking China Open loss

Coco Gauff made an honest admission about how challenging it is to face Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka when they are at their best. Her remarks came shortly after she suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss at the 2025 China Open.

Gauff entered the Beijing tournament with high expectations as the defending champion, hoping to redeem herself after a disappointing run at the US Open. She put together an impressive streak, defeating Kamilla Rahimova, Leylah Fernandez, Belinda Bencic, and Eva Lys to reach the semifinals, where she faced fellow American Anisimova.

The World No. 3 faced Anisimova on Saturday, October 4, but struggled to find her rhythm as her opponent dominated the match. Anisimova dropped only three games, sealing a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 58 minutes to book her spot in the final.

After the match, Coco Gauff attended a press conference and reflected on her defeat. When asked to assess Amanda Anisimova’s performance, Gauff admitted it’s “tough” to beat players like Anisimova and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka when they are playing at their best.

"She's definitely one of the best out of those I've played," Gauff said. "Yeah, for sure her and Aryna are tough when they're playing that level of tennis. I felt like today, no matter what I did, I just couldn't get into the match. So yeah, I'm going to take this and learn from it."

The two-time Grand Slam champion added:

"She played well. I felt like I couldn't really have a chance of getting a rhythm out there. But a learning experience for the next time."

Anisimova will face Linda Noskova in the China Open final on Saturday, October 5. Noskova advanced after pulling off an upset win over fifth seed Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

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Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda's tennis coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of "GOAT" Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double-checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh