Coco Gauff was far from her best during her semifinal match in Beijing…
The defending champion advanced to the last four following wins over Kamilla Rakhimova, Leylah Fernandez, belinda Bencic, and Eva Lys.
She failed in her bid to reach the final, however, as Amanda Anisimova dominated gauff 6-1, 6-2 in the China Open semis.
Gauff’s form has taken a turn for the worse over the last few months, ever since she won the French Open in June.
With her serve continuing to cause her problems, it may be worth considering whether she still is the best woman in American tennis…
Amanda Anisimova may now be the best american tennis player
Beginning the year ranked 36th in the world, few would have predicted Anisimova to enjoy as much success in 2025 as she has.
The 24-year-old qualified for her first two grand Slam finals and won her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open.
Consequently, Anisimova is now the world number four and looks set to challenge Gauff for the number three ranking before the end of the year.
In the Live WTA Race, Anisimova trails her countrywoman by just 17 points, as she continues to chase down the American number one ranking.
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 9,620 |
| 2 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 8,163 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | USA | 5,584 |
| 4 | Amanda Anisimova | USA | 5,567 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 4,598 |
| 6 | Madison Keys | USA | 4,450 |
| 7 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 4,319 |
| 8 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 3,806 |
| 9 | Jasmine Paolini | Italy | 3,751 |
| 10 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Russia | 3,136 |
Top 10 players in the Live WTA Race
if and when Anisimova does overtake Gauff in the rankings, s
Coco Gauff Faces Mounting Concerns with Serve and Forehand
| Rank | Player | Country | Double Faults |
| 1 | coco Gauff | USA | 252 |
| 2 | Lesia Tsurenko | Ukraine | 245 |
| 3 | marta Kostyuk | Ukraine | 241 |
| 4 | Alycia parks | USA | 240 |
| 5 | Jelena Ostapenko | Latvia | 233 |
| 6 | amanda Anisimova | USA | 230 |
| 7 | Linda Noskova | Czechia | 229 |
| 8 | daria Kasatkina | Australia | 220 |
| 9 | Dayana Yastremska | Ukraine | 219 |
| 10 | Ashlyn Krueger | USA | 215 |
Coco gauff is battling issues on both her serve and forehand. It’s a worrying sign as she heads into crucial tournaments.
The statistics don’t lie. Gauff currently leads the WTA Tour in double faults with 252, substantially more than Lesia tsurenko’s 245. This isn’t just a minor blip; it’s a clear indication of inconsistency under pressure.
Sadly for Gauff, it’s not just the serve that has been the issue, as her forehand is failing her, too.
Against Anisimova,she made several unforced errors off the forehand wing,as she won just three games against the world number four.
Ahead of the china Open, former Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva gave her verdict on the issues with Gauff’s forehand.
“I’m surprised that she chose a serving specialist, as in my point of view, it would be an excellent idea for her to somehow reconsider her forehand,” she saeid.