Coco Gauff claimed the third WTA 1000 title of her career on Sunday, defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the Wuhan Open final.
The 21-year-old world number three triumphed after one hour and forty-two minutes of intense play, completing the tournament without dropping a single set.
It was her first-ever final meeting with Pegula, her long-time doubles partner and close friend.
From the start, Gauff dominated the match, racing to a 3-0 lead before Pegula recovered with sharper groundstrokes and aggressive returns. The sixth seed broke back to 4-4, but Gauff responded immediately, reclaiming control to seal the first set in just 47 minutes.
In the second set, Pegulaโknown for her fighting spiritโwent up 3-0 after breaking Gauff twice. But Gauff, now working on her serve with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, clawed her way back, showing resilience that has become her trademark.
After trading breaks, she found her rhythm again, winning ten straight points and breaking Pegulaโs serve one final time. A wide volley from Pegula on match point handed Gauff the championship.
A Record-Breaking Victory
At just 21, Gauff has made history as the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine finals on hard courtsโa feat that cements her status as one of the sportโs brightest young stars.
She dropped only 16 games throughout the tournament, while Pegula had battled through a string of three-set matches to reach the final.
This Wuhan triumph adds to Gauffโs growing list of hard-court successes and strengthens her position among the worldโs top contenders heading into the final stretch of the tennis season.
