Two years back, Coco Gauff dominated the North American hard-court summer, clinching titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
Last year, at age 20, she couldn’t defend her Grand Slam title, getting eliminated in the fourth round by Emma Navarro with a less impressive summer record of 4-3. Arriving in China, Gauff had something to prove, particularly to herself.
She excelled at the China Open in Beijing, winning the title, and advanced to the semifinals in Wuhan before losing to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka. This led to nine victories in ten matches in the intense two-week stretch of WTA 1000 events.
Gauff carried this momentum into the WTA Finals in Riyadh, pulling off wins against world No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, ultimately emerging victorious.
This year, Gauff, along with some of her fellow Top 10 players in the PIF WTA Rankings, is seeking similar momentum as they begin the Asian swing starting Wednesday in Beijing. Gauff, Madison Keys, and Mirra Andreeva have all secured significant wins earlier this year and are in a good position to qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh based on their overall performance.
Despite this, Gauff, Keys, and Andreeva are among the four players, alongside Swiatek—who has already qualified—looking for a much-needed boost as the Asian tour begins, building up to the season’s final stages in Saudi Arabia.
Iga Swiatek
Race position: 2 (7,533)
2025 record: 54-13, 2 titles
Signature win: Wimbledon, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final.
After her striking performance at Wimbledon, where she surprised many by winning, Swiatek faced an unexpected defeat against Anisimova in the US Open. Although she’s 13-2 since her Wimbledon triumph, she is eager to showcase her skills in Asia, having already advanced in the Korea Open Tennis Championships.
Coco Gauff
Race position: 3 (5,184)
2025 record: 38-13, 1 title
Signature win: Roland Garros, defeating Sabalenka in the final.
Since winning her second major title in Paris, Gauff has managed an 8-5 record. While she has struggled with double faults, enlisting the help of a technical coach, she remains focused on improvement rather than results as the year progresses.
Madison Keys
Race position: 5 (4,450)
2025 record: 37-13, 2 titles
Signature win: Australian Open, defeating Swiatek and Sabalenka in the semifinals and finals.
Just before her 30th birthday, Keys won 18 of her first 19 matches this year, capturing titles in Adelaide and Melbourne. Despite a quarterfinal finish at Roland Garros and early exits at Wimbledon and the US Open, she views her progress positively.
Mirra Andreeva
Race position: 7 (4,189)
2025 record: 38-13, 2 titles
Signature win: Indian Wells, defeating Swiatek and Sabalenka in the semifinals and finals.
At just 18, Andreeva is the youngest player in the PIF WTA Rankings Top 35. She made waves by winning the title at Indian Wells after previously securing the Dubai WTA 1000 event, demonstrating remarkable consistency. With an ankle injury impacting her performance recently, she’s focused on taking positives from her experiences.
