French Open champion Coco Gauff claimed her first Wuhan Open title and third WTA 1000 crown after rallying to defeat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday’s final.
The 21-year-old, who reached the semi-finals in Wuhan last year, fell behind 0-3 in the second set and faced a double-break deficit. But she staged an impressive comeback, closing the gap to 3-5 before winning four straight games to seal the victory in straight sets.
This triumph marks Gauff’s 11th career WTA singles title. She adds Wuhan to her previous WTA 1000 wins in Cincinnati (2023) and Beijing (2024), and it is her third final at this level in 2025 following runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome.
Currently ranked world number three, the 2023 U.S. Open champion has also become the first woman in a decade to win nine consecutive hard-court finals. The last to achieve the feat was Serena Williams, who won 12 in a row between the 2013 U.S. Open and the 2015 Cincinnati Open.
Sunday’s showdown marked the first time Gauff and Pegula — former doubles partners who won together in Miami and Doha in 2023 — faced off in a final.
“When I came on tour, you (Pegula) were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms. And that really goes a long way and still goes a long way,” Gauff said during the trophy ceremony. “So I appreciate you. And it’s great to finally play in a final against you.”
Pegula, 31, was coming off a major semi-final upset after ending defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka’s 20-match unbeaten run in Wuhan on Saturday. She has contested 27 three-set matches this season, with her last eight all going the distance — winning seven.
“You’ve been playing a lot of three-setters — you’re a three-set queen,” Gauff joked. “I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt the odds would be in your favour in a third set.”
—Reuters
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