Coco Gauff Clinches Wuhan Open Title To Build Momentum For WTA Finals

WUHAN, CHINA – OCTOBER 12: Champion Coco Gauff poses with the trophy after winning the Women’s Singles Final match against Jessica Pegula at the Wuhan Open at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 12, 2025 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. (Photo by Zhang Chang/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

China News Service via Getty Images

Coco Gauff defeated her former doubles partner and fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 to win the Wuhan Open, her second title this year.

World No. 3 Gauff won the WTA 1000 title in Wuhan in an hour and 42 minutes on Sunday, capping a series of disappointing performances since her French Open title triumph in June.

After winning her second Grand Slam title on the Parisian clay, Gauff suffered a shocking first-round exit on the grass courts of Wimbledon, lost in the hard-court Cincinnati Masters quarter-finals and was defeated by Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open, the final major of the year.

But she bounced back with a semi-final run at the China Open in early October before lifting the trophy in Wuhan, becoming the first player in history to go 9-0 in hard-court finals.

At the presentation ceremony, Gauff, 21, heaped praise on the 31-year-old Pegula.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms,” Gauff said. “That really went a long way, so I appreciate you.

“It’s great to finally play in the final against you, and I hope for many more. So, congratulations and thank you.”

Up Next: WTA Finals

Gauff said that the Wuhan title run – during which she did not drop a set – boosted her morale ahead of her WTA Finals title defense in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month.

“This definitely gives me a lot more confidence going into the WTA finals, after the way the mid-part of the season went for me, especially in New York,” Gauff said, referencing to her fourth-round exit at the U.S. Open.

“It gives me a lot of confidence to try to defend that title. Obviously, winning it last year, I know how tough it is to do, so I’m just going to take it match by match and hopefully I can end up with the trophy.”

If Coco Gauff succeeds in Riyadh, she will end the season with at least one Grand Slam, one WTA 1000 singles title, one WTA 1000 doubles title and a win at the WTA Finals.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/manasipathak-1/2025/10/13/coco-gauff-clinches-wuhan-open-title-to-build-momentum-for-wta-finals/