American tennis star Coco Gauff captured her third WTA 1000 title with a commanding 6-4, 7-5 victory over compatriot Jessica Pegula in the 2025 Wuhan Open final. The 21-year-old became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard court finals, marking her second title of the season after her French Open triumph in June.
Gauff’s victory speech revealed surprising insights about her decision to compete in the Asian swing following a challenging US Open campaign.
What Did Coco Gauff Say After Beating Jessica Pegula in Wuhan Open Finals?
The final showcased two contrasting paths to victory, with Gauff conceding only 16 games throughout the entire tournament while Pegula battled through four consecutive three-set matches to reach her first Wuhan final. Gauff started strongly by winning the first six points and taking a 3-0 lead in the opening set, but Pegula fought back to level at 4-4 before Gauff secured the set 6-4.
The second set proved more challenging for Gauff, who found herself trailing 3-0 after committing eight double faults throughout the match. However, the world No. 3 displayed remarkable resilience, winning four consecutive games from 3-5 down to secure victory in one hour and 44 minutes. This final marked the first Wuhan Open final since 2017 without defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who lost to Pegula in the semifinals.
During her victory speech, Gauff made a surprising revelation about her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel’s initial opposition to her participation in the Asian swing.
“I’m going to call JC out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open but I had to prove him wrong. I’m a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here,” the 21-year-old said.
Coco Gauff: It was a great Asian swing. I’m going to call JC out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open but I had to prove him wrong. I’m a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result herehttps://t.co/UDVowddFbY
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) October 12, 2025
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Gauff’s Remarkable Wuhan Open Campaign
Gauff’s path to the Wuhan title included victories over Zhang Shuai, Laura Siegemund, and Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals. The French Open champion had reached the Beijing semifinals the previous week before claiming her first Wuhan Open crown.
This victory drew parallels to Gauff’s 2024 China Open triumph, where she had similarly considered skipping the tournament but went on to defeat Karolína Muchová 6-1, 6-3 to clinch her second WTA 1000 title. At just 20 years old, she became the youngest China Open champion in 14 years and the second American to win in Beijing after Serena Williams.
Gauff is next scheduled to compete in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she is the defending champion.
