Eva Lys sends message to Coco Gauff on Instagram after losing to her in Beijing

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Eva Lys’ incredible China Open campaign came to an end on Thursday, suffering a defeat to the world number three.

Beating Zhang Ruien, Iva Jovic, Elena Rybakina, and McCartney Kessler, Lys qualified for her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal, where she met two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff.

Unfortunately for the German, she was unable to advance to the semis, as Lys lost to Gauff in straight sets, 3-6, 4-6.

There are still plenty of positives for Lys to take from her time in Beijing, as she is set to make her top-50 debut as a result of her run to the quarterfinals.

Reflecting on the best week of her career so far, Lys sent a message to Gauff and her fans on Instagram.

Eva Lys says it was ‘a pleasure’ playing Coco Gauff in Beijing

On Lys’ Instagram stories, she had this to say about her match with the American number one.

“Such a pleasure to be sharing the court with Coco Gauff,” she said.

Lys then looked back on her time in China, thanking the fans for their support throughout her run to the quarterfinals.

“What a week,” she said.

“So thankful for every single person that was cheering for me in the past few days.

“I’ve gotten so many incredible messages; you guys make me feel loved.

“Until next year, China Open.”

The German could well return to China with a seed next to her name in 2026, should she continue on the same trajectory.

Ranked outside the world’s top 100 at the beginning of the year, Lys is now chasing down a spot in the top 32.

Lys trails world number 32 Barbora Krejcikova by just 252 points, a gap she’ll be looking to close down before the end of the year.

The German is scheduled to return to action at the qualifying event in Osaka, which begins next week.

Gauff, on the other hand, still has work to do in Beijing, as she searches for her first WTA 1000 title of the season.

Can Coco Gauff finally get her hands on a 2025 WTA 1000 trophy?

The American star has finished as runner-up in two WTA 1000 finals this year, but has yet to lift a trophy.

2025 WTA 1000 finals

Losing to Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid and Jasmine Paolini in Rome, Gauff failed to add a third WTA 1000 title to her trophy cabinet.

She stands a good chance of doing so in Beijing, however, as the top-ranked player remaining in the competition.

2025 China Open quarterfinals

• SF 1 – [5] Jessica Pegula/[15] Emma Navarro vs [26] Linda Noskova
• SF 2 – [3] Amanda Anisimova vs [2] Coco Gauff

To qualify for her third WTA 1000 final of the season, Gauff will have to beat her fellow American, Amanda Anisimova, in the semis.

The pair have met twice previously on the WTA Tour, but have yet to play each other on a hard court.

Gauff won their first meeting on the clay in Parma, Italy, four years ago, before Anisimova levelled their head-to-head at 1-1, in the third round of Wimbledon in 2022.

If Gauff were to re-take control of their rivalry and pick up the win in the semis, one of Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, or Linda Noskova would await her in the Championship match.

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in China, but you definitely won’t want to miss any of the action.

Gauff will return to take on Anisimova in the semifinals on Saturday, October 4.