KEY POINTS
- Gauff defied her coach’s advice and won the Wuhan Open without dropping a set.
- She became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.
WUHAN, China: Coco Gauff capped off a stellar Asian swing by defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the Wuhan Open final on Sunday, earning her third WTA 1000 title and becoming the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals without a loss.
Gauff, 21, admitted she went against her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel’s advice not to play in China after a tough US Open exit, a decision that paid off handsomely.
“I’m a very stubborn person,” she joked after lifting the trophy, “maybe he said that on purpose to motivate me.”
In a high-quality battle lasting 1 hour and 42 minutes, Gauff came from behind multiple times against Pegula, her former doubles partner and close friend, who had survived a string of gruelling three-setters to reach the final.
Gauff’s powerful baseline game and resilience under pressure eventually wore down the sixth-seeded Pegula, sealing the victory with a 10-point run late in the second set.
