Who is Elise Mertens? The 30-year-old behind Coco Gauff’s China Open exit
Coco Gauff’s China Open title defence came to an abrupt end on Wednesday after Belgian tennis star Elise Mertens produced one of the biggest results of the tournament.
Mertens defeated the American fourth seed 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, ending Gauff’s campaign in straight sets.
But beyond Gauff’s surprise exit, the result has again put the spotlight on a player whose career has already included major milestones but who continues to operate outside the biggest names dominating women’s tennis.
So, who is Elise Mertens?
Elise Mertens’ age and nationality
Elise Mertens is a 30-year-old Belgian professional tennis player.
Born on November 17, 1995, Mertens turned professional in 2013. She is 1.79 metres tall and plays right-handed.
She currently sits inside the world’s top 20 in singles and is also a highly accomplished doubles player. At the China Open, she entered her meeting with Gauff ranked 19th in singles, while Gauff was ranked fourth.
Elise Mertens’ career-high ranking
Mertens has previously climbed as high as No. 12 in the WTA singles rankings.
Her success, however, has not been limited to singles.
She reached the No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles and has won Grand Slam titles in doubles. Her career-high doubles ranking reflects a part of her game that has sometimes received less attention than her singles performances.
Her record also shows an extensive singles career at the highest level, including deep runs at Grand Slam tournaments.
Elise Mertens’ Grand Slam record
Mertens has reached the latter stages of several Grand Slam tournaments.
Her best singles Grand Slam result came at the 2018 Australian Open, where she reached the semi-finals.
She has also reached the quarter-finals of the US Open twice, in 2019 and 2020, while she made the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time in 2026.
Her 2026 Wimbledon run was significant because it marked her best-ever result at the tournament.
At the French Open, Mertens has reached the fourth round three times.
Those results show that her Beijing victory over Gauff was not an isolated breakthrough. The Belgian has spent years competing deep into major tournaments and against some of the world’s leading players.
How Elise Mertens beat Coco Gauff
Mertens entered the China Open meeting with Gauff knowing the American had been one of the biggest names in women’s tennis in recent years.
But the Belgian produced a remarkably efficient performance.
Mertens won the opening set 6-3 before repeating the scoreline in the second to complete a straight-sets victory.
The statistics showed the difference.
She won 79 per cent of points behind her first serve, compared with 61 per cent for Gauff. Mertens also converted four of her 11 break-point opportunities, while Gauff managed only one break from one opportunity.
Gauff also committed eight double faults during the match, compared with two from Mertens.
The result ended Gauff’s run at the tournament and sent Mertens into the next stage of the competition.
Mertens and Gauff had already met in 2026
The Beijing match was not the first meeting between the two players this year.
They previously faced each other at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.
On that occasion, Mertens came from behind after losing the first set to defeat Gauff 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Their Beijing meeting therefore gave Mertens another opportunity to test herself against one of the leading players in women’s tennis.
This time, there was no need for a comeback.
Mertens controlled the match from the start and secured the victory in two sets.
A career built beyond the spotlight
Mertens’ career has developed during an era dominated by names such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Gauff.
She has rarely received the same level of global attention as those players.
Yet her record tells a different story.
The Belgian has won multiple WTA singles titles and has consistently remained capable of challenging established stars.
The WTA record lists two WTA 500 singles titles and eight WTA 250 titles among her career achievements. She has also recorded 19 wins in 2026 at the time of the latest WTA update.
Her doubles career has been equally notable, with her reaching the top of the world rankings.
Why the China Open win matters
Beating Gauff in Beijing adds another significant result to Mertens’ career.
The victory also underlines the depth of women’s tennis, where experienced players can still produce major results against highly ranked younger stars.
For Gauff, the defeat means the China Open title defence is over.
For Mertens, it represents another reminder of the level she can reach when she produces her best tennis.
At 30, the Belgian remains a familiar presence on the WTA Tour.
And after sending one of the tournament’s biggest names home, Elise Mertens has once again given tennis fans a reason to pay attention to her own story.