The roar in the National Tennis Center hums with expectation. The courts gleam under floodlights. For Coco Gauff, Beijing is more than just another stop, and guess what? She has already announced her arrival as the defending champion in a very bold fashion. Now, the corridors backstage whisper with the possibility of a rematch. Her next opponent? Belinda Bencic—a familiar name, a formidable foe.

Coco Gauff vs. Belinda Bencic: Preview

Coco Gauff’s 2025 season has been a mix of flashes of brilliance and grinding resilience. Having already tasted success here in 2024, she knows the stakes, the pressures, and what will be demanded of her. But defense is always harder than conquest. The target is painted on her back. Opponents see her as the one to beat.

She started her campaign here in Beijing in a dominating fashion, beating Kamilla Rakhimova by 6-4,6-0 in the R64. But then in the R32, she took 2 hours and 45 minutes to beat the Canadian star, Leylah Fernandez. She committed plenty of errors in that match, but at the end of the epic duel, Gauff said, “It was very physical; we were going back and forth. Obviously, the third set I was playing pretty well. I know I could have served a little bit better, but I did what I needed to do to win today.”

If we take a look at her performance this season, Coco Gauff started the season helping Team America win the 2025 United Cup. And then after that, she reached the QF at the AO, but there she was defeated by Paula Badosa in straight sets. Although Gauff reached the finals of the Madrid Open and Italian Open this year, she missed the chance of clinching titles by the narrowest margins. But Gauff stunned everyone by outshining the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in the French Open final by 6(5)-7,6-2,6-4. But she failed miserably at Wimbledon and the US Open this year. But looking at her start at the China Open, we can surely expect some good things from her in Beijing. 

American fans will be keeping their fingers crossed! But on the other side, Belinda Benic has a story too—of comeback, of reclamation. After time away from the Tour (due to her maternity leave), the former world number 4 is battling back into the spotlight. Each win is part of a narrative of rediscovery and grit. She may not carry the weight of defending a title, but she carries hunger, and that can be a dangerous weapon.

Although she had a shaky start in the first couple of tournaments this year, Bencic did make a strong comeback in the third. She defeated the likes of Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, and Ashlyn Krueger on her way to the title triumph at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open. Following that impressive run, Bencic reached the QF at Indian Wells and SF at Wimbledon, but she’s yet to win her second title of the season. Is this the right time and right venue for her to deliver her best?

Well, the Swiss started her campaign with a 6-3,6-3 win against America’s Katie Volynets, but then in the second match, she took three sets to beat the Aussie Priscilla Hon. What will be the scoreline in her third match, here?

Gauff vs. Bencic: Head-to-Head

When Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic walk onto the court, they aren’t meeting for the first time. Their past clashes offer clues, warnings, and psychological edges. According to general head-to-head tallies, the American holds the upper hand in more recent matchups. Gauff leads their H2H 3-2, including 2-1 in 2025.

• 2025 Madrid Open R16: Gauff 6-4,6-2.
• 2025 Indian Wells R16: Bencic 3-6,6-3,6-4.
• 2025 AO R16: Gauff 5-7,6-2,6-1.
• 2023 Citi Open QF: Gauff 6-1,6-2.
• 2021 Adelaide International 1 SF: Bencic 7-6(2), 6(4)-7,6-2.

When Gauff and Bencic step across the net in Beijing, the script is still being written. The past gives hints, the odds give probabilities—but tennis, especially at this level, thrives on surprises. Will Bencic channel her comeback momentum and rattle the favorite? Can Gauff hold the line under fire? 

Prediction: Gauff will win this match in three sets

Coco Gauff will have a slight edge in this contest! Reason? She carries momentum as a defending champion, with confidence on these courts. Both of them have won one title each this season, but Gauff (38-13) has a better win-loss record in comparison to Bencic’s (28-14). Other than winning the title last year, Gauff had also reached the semis in 2023, while before this, Bencic’s best record in this tournament was reaching the R3 in 2019.

However, despite all the successes at this venue, Gauff didn’t look too pleased with the surface this year. After her match against Fernandez, she said, “The conditions were so slow…I think the toughest part was just dealing with the conditions and trying to feel like I could hit through her, but I couldn't do that as well today as I felt like I did earlier this year.”

So, this match will be a bit tricky, and it has all the ingredients to go a little deeper this time. Now, coming to their playing styles, Coco Gauff is known for her aggressive, all-court style characterized by a powerful serve and equally strong groundstrokes. Her return game gives her a slight tactical edge. Even though she has shown occasional lapses in serve (already committing 347 double faults in 2025), I believe she will tighten that up in this match.

As of now, in her two matches, she has committed around 11 double faults. But if she keeps things tidy, it will be a bit tougher for the Swiss. Other than that, Gauff’s incredible athleticism allows her to adapt to various surfaces and opponents pretty easily. She also has an excellent defensive game and also an incredible fighting spirit, which often helps her out in do-or-die situations in the matches.

Belinda Bencic is dangerous, motivated, and certainly capable of pushing Gauff to her limits. She has an all-court game, and she loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. She has a strong first serve, but her second serve is on the weaker side. Bencic has a unique ability to turn defense to offense pretty swiftly, and this can cause a few troubles for Gauff in this match.

But in a tight match, I favor the one who has more recent consistency in H2H and form. So, I’m backing the American in this epic R16 duel in Beijing.

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta