‘I appreciate you’: Gauff defeats friend, former doubles partner Pegula for Wuhan title

Two years after sharing the WTA 1000 doubles title in Miami, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula stood on stage side by side again Sunday, this time as singles finalists at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open.

But unlike their shared triumph in 2023, only one could lift the winner’s trophy on this occasion. In the end, it was Gauff defeating her fellow American and former doubles partner in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, to claim the title in 1 hour and 42 minutes.

It was the first time the friends had met in a WTA final.

During the trophy presentation, Gauff thanked Pegula for her support early on in her career.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms,” Gauff said. “That really went a long way, so I appreciate you. It’s great to finally play in the final against you, and I hope for many more. So, congratulations and thank you.”

The win marked Gauff’s 11th career WTA singles title and her second of 2025, following her French Open victory. Of those titles, two are Grand Slams and three are WTA 1000s. She also owns 10 doubles titles, including one Grand Slam and four WTA 1000s.

She became the first player in history to go 9-0 in hard-court finals. All three of her career finals’ losses have come on clay.

Here’s how she got it done:

Winners, winners: Gauff hit 24 winners, 11 more than Pegula and two more than her unforced errors count. But it wasn’t just the volume, but the timing that made these winners count, as the 21-year-old consistently delivered in the biggest moments, starting with the very first point.

The match began with a 15-shot rally, one Gauff finished with a forehand winner down the line. It was the first of six straight points as she raced out to a 3-0, then 4-1 lead.

Pegula responded with three consecutive games to level the set at 4-all, but Gauff held firm. A cross-court backhand for Gauff, winner helped her survive a tense service game to go up 5-4, allowing her to break Pegula the following game to take the set

In the second set, Pegula surged ahead 3-0, putting Gauff on the defensive. Facing a potential 4-0 deficit, Gauff dug in. She came to the net to finish an eight-shot rally with a smash winner, then reeled off three straight games to tie the set at 3-3.

Down 5-4 with Pegula serving for the set, Gauff broke again. After winning the first point of the game, she outlasted Pegula in a 12-shot rally, finishing with a backhand down the line to seal the penultimate break.

Gauff would capture her fourth break of the set in the final game, closing the match with her fourth straight game -- and one final forehand winner.

No sets dropped: With her straight sets win in the final, Gauff became the first player to win the Wuhan Open without dropping a set since the tournament’s inception in 2014. She also lost just 25 games en route to the title -- the fewest by any champion in tournament history.

Her run began with a second-round win over Moyuka Uchijima, dropping just one game in 51 minutes. She needed only an hour to get past Zhang Shuai in the third round, then lost three games to Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.

The competition stiffened in the semifinals against Jasmine Paolini, who had beaten Gauff three times in 2025 and was fresh off a dominant win over Iga Swiatek. But Gauff dismissed the Italian in short order to reach the final.

Pegula, meanwhile, entered the match having played eight consecutive three-setters, winning seven and holding match points in all eight.

Gauff knew she couldn’t let it go the distance.

“You’re the three-set queen,” she said to Pegula during the ceremony. “So, I was determined not to let you get there today, because it felt like the odds would be in your favor in the third set.”

What it means: Gauff leaves Wuhan with another title, as well as bragging rights over her friend -- even though she still trails Pegula 4-3 in their head-to-head.

By completing the sweep of China’s two WTA 1000 tournaments, following her China Open title last year, Gauff becomes just the second player to win both events, joining Caroline Garcia, who accomplished the feat in 2017.

She remains No.3 in the PIF WTA Rankings, but widened the gap over her nearest competitor, Amanda Anisimova, to nearly 2,000 points. She also reclaimed the No. 3 spot in the Race, overtaking Anisimova.

Looking ahead, Gauff and Pegula will both have one more opportunity to capture a big title this season at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November.

If Gauff wins, she’ll not only defend her title from last year, but also end the season with at least one Grand Slam, one WTA 1000 singles title, one WTA 1000 doubles title and a win at the WTA Finals.