The world No. 2 delivered a dominant performance, firing 11 aces and never facing a break point as she defeated the Mexican 6-1, 6-3 in just 63 minutes.
The victory marked Sabalenka's first match since September, when she lost both her world No. 1 ranking and US Open title to Elena Rybakina. The 28-year-old is also searching for her first tournament victory since March, when she completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and the Miami Open in consecutive weeks.
By Sabalenka's standards, 2026 has been a challenging season. She is set to finish the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022 and has frequently struggled with frustration during matches.
Reflecting on her tendency to demand more from herself, Sabalenka acknowledged that her high expectations can have both positive and negative effects.
"I think this is a good and a bad side of my personality, that I always ask and wait for more from myself," she said.
"Sometimes it can drive me forward, but sometimes it can really drain my energy."
The Belarusian said learning to show herself more understanding is something she is actively working on.
"Maybe this is something I have to finally learn. I'm really trying so hard sometimes to be easier on myself," she said.
Sabalenka will next meet Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova in the third round. The 20-year-old came close to upsetting Sabalenka at the Berlin Open in June.
Top seed Rybakina is scheduled to begin her China Open campaign on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Britain's Katie Boulter was eliminated after losing 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 to Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova. French Open champion Mirra Andreeva recovered from dropping the opening set to defeat Chinese wildcard Yuan Yue 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.
In the men's tournament, sixth seed Daniil Medvedev advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta after hitting 12 aces.
Novak Djokovic also reached the third round after overcoming China's Bu Yunchaokete 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. The six-time champion, who remains unbeaten in Beijing after 31 matches, recovered after dropping the opening set.
Djokovic received a medical timeout during the second set but regained control in the tie-break before winning four consecutive games in the deciding set. He sealed the victory after two hours and 52 minutes with a backhand winner.
The 39-year-old will next face either Alexander Zverev or China's Shang Juncheng.
