Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

“I’m Too Old for These Mind Games” – Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff Trade Barbs in Fiery China Open Fourth-Round Clash

Gauff edges Bencic in fiery clash marked by mid-match argument

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Coco Gauff’s title defense at the 2025 China Open survived a tense test on Monday, but her 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Belinda Bencic. The world No. 3 came through a two-hour, 31-minute battle to book her quarterfinal spot against Eva Lys, but the match was overshadowed by a fiery courtside argument between the two players that spilled into the press room afterward.

Bencic seemed to have felt disrespected when a fan cheered mid-serve, breaking her concentration. She then thought Gauff’s team was chatting and trying to rattle her, which she labeled as “mind games.” While Gauff didn’t believe the atmosphere was disruptive at all and saw Bencic’s complaints as overblown. What escalated things was when Bencic allegedly told Gauff’s team to “shut up,” which Gauff found disrespectful. Continue reading for more.

Wow a really tense exchange here between Belinda Bencic, the umpire and Coco Gauff in Beijing.

Bencic is normally always quite calm so must have really got rattled here, told Coco Gauff that's she's too old for the mind games that they are playing. 👀pic.twitter.com/Y7PiQiNPSb
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) September 30, 2025

Gauff vs. Bencic Verbal Friction

The contest was already a rollercoaster. Bencic surged with five straight games to take the first set, and even led 4-3 in the second before Gauff dug deep, winning a tiebreak to level. By the third, the American’s power and composure carried her home with two decisive breaks. Yet, the tennis itself was almost upstaged by the mid-match flashpoint.

At 2-3 in the second set, Bencic grew frustrated with a fan’s cheer during her service motion. She told the umpire: “When the point is over, it’s no problem, I don’t care. But when I’m going to the line ready to serve, they don’t need to cheer.” Gauff, defending the crowd, countered: “There’s nobody in the stadium. It’s been so respectful.”

bit of a tense moment at 2-3 in the 2nd set of Gauff-Bencic.

Belinda appeared frustrated with someone in the crowd cheering a Gauff winner to which Coco said, "There's nobody in the stadium. It's been so respectful." Belinda replied, "They can cheer after the point." pic.twitter.com/ERO55t4f9o
— Christian's Court (@christianscourt) September 30, 2025

What followed was a sharper exchange. Bencic, visibly irritated, snapped: “No one’s talking to you! She’s talking to me, okay! I haven’t started [it]. Your team is chatting… I’m too old for these mind games, okay!” The tension simmered through the changeover before play resumed.

Post-match, Gauff offered her version. “Yeah, I mean, I knew she said something to my team, but I didn’t know exactly what,” the 21-year-old explained. “They told me she said, ‘Shut up.’ I didn’t hear it, so I can only go based off of what they said… I was telling her to be respectful. I just didn’t like that comment towards my team.”

Gauff d. Belinda Bencic 4-6 7-6 6-2

Coco survives a very tough contest.

This is her 9th consecutive win in Beijing.

Her overall record in Beijing:

13 wins, 1 loss.

✅41st win of 2025
✅3rd consecutive Beijing QF

Defending champ leaving it all out there.

🇺🇲❤ pic.twitter.com/2ZW0lZOm8i
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 30, 2025

Still, Gauff stressed that she considered the matter closed. “Yeah, that was it. I mean, we moved on after that. I haven’t spoken to her since. She’s entitled to how she felt and I’m entitled to how I respond.” So far, no comments from Bencic have surfaced.

Mandatory Image Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Belinda Bencic

China Open

Coco Gauff

Rudra Dubey

nfl

mma

I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.