Coco Gauff says she felt like she was going to “pass out” during her shock defeat to Elise Mertens at the China Open. The American, who had been 5-0 against Mertens previously, loses their head-to-head for the first time as her energy appeared to drop during the match.
Multiple outlets report that the physical and mental toll of the preceding days played a role in how she performed. The Post also references cheating accusations in connection with the broader circumstances leading into the match, describing Gauff as “a shell of herself.” The Independent and The Athletic focus more on the match itself, noting Gauff’s first loss to Mertens in six meetings and describing how the deficit grew as the contest progressed.
While details of the alleged off-court dispute are presented differently across sources, they converge on the same central points: Gauff suffers an unexpected defeat to Mertens, and she portrays the match as physically overwhelming in the moment.
