Ahead of the start of the WTA 1000 China Open this week, Hologic WTA Tour stars Coco Gauff, Marta Kostyuk and Naomi Osaka took time out of their tournament preparations to see two of the most famous sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
Gauff joined with ATP superstar Carlos Alcaraz to visit the Forbidden City in the center of Beijing, a historic palace that was once the home of China’s emperors for five centuries.
The two Grand Slam champions put on traditional Chinese clothing for the photo-op and played tennis in the courtyard. Gauff also toured the Forbidden City’s museum and learned more about the artifacts housed there.
“It was really cool just to see the architecture and how people lived during that time ,” Gauff told WTA Insider, “and realizing how big of a place it was for just the emperor to live in. I would do it again. I’ll probably go back next year.”
“I was laughing so hard when Carlos put his on because he had that huge smile and he was just standing there as people dressed him,” Gauff said, laughing. “Mine had red and white, so I liked my outfit better. I wasn’t jealous.”
Gauff made her China Open debut a year ago, where she reached the semifinals, and also immersed herself in Chinese culture on her arrival by sampling some tea, writing calligraphy and playing the guzheng, a plucked instrument.
“I’ve only seen settings like this on TV and in movies,” Gauff said then, expressing her appreciation for the locals who showed her the sights.
Meanwhile, Kostyuk and Osaka walked along the more than 13,000-mile long Great Wall, which stretches across the country’s historical northern borders.
Former World No.1 Osaka, the 2019 China Open champion, is back in Beijing for the first time since then and wasted no time sharing behind-the-scenes clips of her visit with her followers on social media — including a TikTok video of her ride on the attraction’s toboggans that offer visitors a relaxing way to travel from one of the watchtowers to the base.
Looking cool in athleisure apparel, Kostyuk and her coach Sandra Zaniewska, meanwhile, opted to experience the scenic views entirely on foot.
“Just hanging out with some bricks,” Kostyuk cheekily captioned her photos on Instagram.
The unseeded Osaka, currently ranked No.73, opened her tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in Wednesday’s first round — her first match under the tutelage of new coach Patrick Mouratoglou. No.4 seed Gauff and No.14 seed Kostyuk, meanwhile, will play their second-round matches against France’s Clara Burel and American Katie Volynets, respectively.
