Coco Gauff took a week off from Tennis after winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open but is ready to get back to work. The 19-year-old champion accepted a wild card to play the Zhengzhou Open, a WTA 500 tournament in China. Gauff is ranked number 3 in the world, and she will be joining a strong players in Zhengzhou, which already includes reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur, and Maria Sakkari. She arrived in the China on Wednesday September 27th with open arms waiting for her. The moment she got there, she was greeted with flowers and was invited to submerge herself in the rich culture. Check out some photos below.
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
Gauff arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport on September 27. She was greeted with a bouquet and a smile. “It’s been a huge summer for me and I’m excited to build on my US Open win and put in a really big finish to what’s been an amazing year,” Gauff said of the upcoming tournament, per WTA Tennis. “We always love playing in front of the Chinese fans so I’m really looking forward to that.”
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
After a day of recovering from jet lag, she was invited to participate in a traditional tea tasting ceremony.
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
Guaff also had the opportunity to play a Guzheng, also known as Chinese Zither.
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
Appreciating all the rich traditions China has to offer, she also learned how to write Chinese calligraphy.
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
Proudly displaying her art, the champion is a testament of how special it is to appreciate other cultures.
© GettyImagesCoco Gauff
On Friday, September 29, it was time for Gauff to talk to the media. Talking about her Us Open win she said, “I took a week off, which is the longest I’ve ever taken off from tennis. It was a little bit weird having nothing to do.” “Then we had a little celebration with all my friends and family could go to in Florida. After that, right back to training and back to getting back to work, which honestly, I was eager to get back. A week was a long time for me to take off,” she continued.
