World No. 3 Coco Gauff advanced to the final of the Wuhan Open after overcoming one of her most formidable opponents in Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. The victory leveled their head-to-head record and led to a moment where Gauff corrected the on-court interviewer about it following the match.
Gauff began the Asian swing on a strong note, finishing as a semifinalist at the China Open. She carried that momentum into the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, displaying even greater dominance as she powered past Moyuka Uchijima, Zhang Shuai, and Laura Siegemund to reach the semifinals.
How Did Coco Gauff Clarify the Facts With the Interviewer After Wuhan Open Semifinal Win Over Jasmine Paolini?
The World No. 3 then faced seventh seed Paolini, who had held the upper hand in their rivalry, winning three of their five previous encounters, all earlier this year in Stuttgart, Rome, and Cincinnati. With that, the Italian also led 3-2 in their head-to-head. However, Gauff came to turn the tables and even that tally in Wuhan.
But Gauff’s serving struggles were still apparent, as she double-faulted seven times and was broken on five occasions. Nonetheless, the American held her composure, overcoming the setbacks to seal a dominant 6–4, 6–3 victory and advance to her first final since Roland Garros in June.
Beyond Gauff’s commanding performance, one moment quickly caught attention during her on-court interview. The two-time Grand Slam champion was asked how satisfying the win felt, given that Paolini supposedly led their head-to-head 3–0. However, the Italian’s 3–0 advantage applied only to their meetings in 2025, not their overall record. Gauff promptly corrected the presenter, saying:
“Well it’s just 3-0 this year… I think it’s even now. But I am really happy with how I played today. It was tough especially playing on the serve but, I did what I needed to get through,” she said.
Coco Gauff after beating Jasmine Paolini to reach Wuhan final
“Jasmine was leading 3-0 in the head to head record. How happy are you to win this high intensity match?”
Coco: “Well it’s just 3-0 this year… I think it’s even now” 😭😭😭
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 11, 2025
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The Wuhan campaign serves as a much-needed confidence boost for the 21-year-old, who has been enduring a title drought since her French Open triumph earlier this year. However, the road ahead in Wuhan grows even tougher as Gauff is set to face either defending champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final.
But Gauff has repeatedly shown composure in these crucial stages and would be poised to do the same on Sunday.