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Gauff, the world number six, defeated unseeded Czech player Karolina Muchova to win the China Open, her eighth WTA victory and first since January.
The American fourth seed had battled with her serve earlier in the week and had to come from behind in three of her previous matches to reach her first final since winning in Auckland at the beginning of the year.
However, the 2023 US Open winner showed little evidence of frailty in a 6-1 6-3 victory in one hour and 17 minutes.
Gauff humorously attributed her improved form to a trip to Beijing’s Forbidden City with men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck, so maybe I’ll pay a visit next year to repeat the luck,” she told an ecstatic Chinese audience.
The 20-year-old sensation dominated the first set in just 30 minutes, forcing her opponent into a slew of unforced errors to capture two breaks of serve.
Muchova, world number 49, had upset first seed Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in earlier rounds but was unable to match Gauff’s strength and quickness. She was ranked as high as eighth before an extended layoff due to a wrist injury sustained at the 2023 US Open.
The 28-year-old has lost two previous matches against the young American, including the final of last year’s Cincinnati Open, as well as four of her previous five WTA final appearances.
Muchova, on the other hand, began the second set on a promising note, taking a 2-0 lead as Gauff’s serve issues resurfaced, as she fired down two double faults to give her opponent an early break.
However, Gauff responded quickly, kicking off a four-game winning streak.CoCo
Muchova ultimately awarded her opponent victory by sending a backhand long with her 24th unforced error, which, when compared to Gauff’s 24 winners, revealed the narrative of the match.
“I want to congratulate you, Karolina, and it is great to see you back on tour,” Gauff said in her post-match interview.
Gauff also congratulated her new coach, Matt Daly, saying that “obviously things are going well” after winning her first event with him.
She quit her association with Brad Gilbert last month following her fourth-round exit at the US Open, where she failed to defend her titleCoCo
Gauff’s victory at the WTA 1,000 event in Beijing pushed her up to fourth place in the Race to the Finals, with the top seven qualifying for the season-ending tournament in Riyadh in NovemberCoCo
