US tennis star Coco Gauff claimed a decisive victory in the China Open final on Sunday, defeating Karolina Muchová with a score of 6-1, 6-3.

This win marks Gauff, 20, as the first American to triumph in the tournament since Serena Williams in 2013, bringing her total WTA titles to eight.

Additionally, Gauff made WTA history by becoming the first woman to win her first seven hard-court finals in the Open era, further solidifying her rising status in the sport.

“I want to say congratulations to you Karolina. It’s great to see you back on tour. I think you’re such an amazing player and you deserve everything,” Gauff said in her post-match interview, before thanking her own team for supporting her through the season.

Coco Gauff delivered an impressive performance in the China Open final, quickly establishing her dominance by clinching the first set in just 30 minutes. This was particularly notable given Karolina Muchová’s recent strong performances.

Despite battling injuries this season, Muchová entered the match with confidence after defeating US Open winner Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. However, she struggled to match Gauff’s physicality, committing 24 unforced errors compared to Gauff’s only eight.

While Gauff faced some serving issues at the start of the second set, allowing Muchová to take a 2-0 lead, she quickly broke back and regained control of the match.

This victory marks Gauff’s first title in nine months and her first since adding Matt Daly to her coaching team, following her split from long-time coach Brad Gilbert last month. Gilbert played a significant role in Gauff’s success in 2023, which included her first Grand Slam title at the US Open and victories in Cincinnati and Washington.