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.

 

 

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.”

 

 

After a day of recovering from jet lag, she was invited to participate in a traditional tea tasting ceremony.

 

 

Guaff also had the opportunity to play a Guzheng, also known as Chinese Zither.

 

 

Appreciating all the rich traditions China has to offer, she also learned how to write Chinese calligraphy.

 

 

Proudly displaying her art, the champion is a testament of how special it is to appreciate other cultures.