Coco Gauff bounced back from her opening loss against Jessica Pegula and grabbed a win at the WTA Finals. The defending champion did her job against a tough opponent, staying alive in the round-robin stage in Riyadh.
Coco Gauff Beats Jasmine Paolini at WTA Finals
Gauff beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday in a quick match lasting an hour and 20 minutes, with Gauff doing most of the damage from the baseline. Paolini, the eighth seed, struggled to find any rhythm against Gauff’s constant pressure.
The American came out strong, building a 3-0 lead in the first set. Paolini fought back after a nine-minute exchange where she saved three break points. However, Gauff’s strategy of drawing her into baseline rallies and finishing with sharp shots proved too effective as she took the first set 6-3 without trouble.
In the second set, Gauff earned consecutive breaks to go 5-2 up and sealed the match when Paolini netted the return on a powerful serve. After the match, Gauff reflected on her improved performance.
“I just try to give myself the best chance to win,” she said. “I felt like in my last match, I wasn’t so positive. So I was just trying not to let that be a repeat of today.” Her adjustment came after losing to Pegula in her opening match.
On her serve, Gauff noted the improvement. “I thought I served smart. I don’t think Jasmine was 100% today,” she added. Against Pegula, she had 17 double faults and 45 unforced errors, whereas against Paolini, she had just three double faults and played with far greater consistency.
When asked about the pressure of being the defending champion, Gauff replied, “I think knowing that no one has defended it in like however many years definitely takes the pressure off. Playing the top eight in the world in this round Robin is format is so hard, I’m used to like when I’m losing, soaking in bed for a few days and having to come back and play and match is so unique.”
Coco Gauff is taking pressure off herself as the defending champion. 😮💨
The No. 3 also talked plans for Halloween 2026. 🎃
⁰#WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/7XJoUb8eOV— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 4, 2025
Gauff’s Qualification Scenario to WTA Finals SF
Gauff is the defending WTA Finals champion after defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final last year. The 21-year-old competes in the Steffi Graf Group with top seed Aryna Sabalenka, fifth-ranked Pegula, and Paolini. Each player faces the others once, with the top two advancing to the semifinals.
Currently sitting at 1-1, Gauff’s semifinal hopes depend on her final group match. Only two players from each group make the knockout stage, so every point matters in this format. Her improved performance shows Gauff is adjusting to the demands. She won Roland Garros and several WTA 1000 titles this season, but the season-ending tournament tests each player differently, given the concentration of top talent in just a few days.