Coco Gauff has revealed why she nearly missed the Asian swing after winning the Wuhan Open final against Jessica Pegula. She also admitted that it was an honour to share the court with her compatriot in the climax of the tournament. Gauff, who battled to a 6-4 7-5 win, said that Pegula was one of the first players to make her feel welcome when she arrived on the WTA Tour.
Coco Gauff revealed that her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel did not want her to compete in this year’s Asian swing, after she beat Jessica Pegula 6-4 7-5 in the final of the Wuhan Open.
Gauff reached the semi-finals of the Beijing Open before storming to victory in Wuhan, but she said that Faurel wanted her to withdraw after a difficult US Open.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated from her home Slam in the fourth round, but she has bounced back during a successful end to the 2025 season.
The world No. 3 insisted that she was determined to prove her coach wrong in China.
“It was a great Asian swing, I am going to call JC [Jean-Christophe Faurel] out; he originally did not want me to come because I had a tough US Open,” she said after the final in Wuhan.
“I had to prove him wrong. I am a very stubborn person, so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”
The clash in Wuhan was the seventh time that Gauff and Pegula had gone head-to-head on the WTA Tour, but it was the first time the two tennis stars had met in the final of a tournament.
Gauff thanked her compatriot for her support when she first arrived on the WTA Tour, and admitted that she hopes the 2025 Wuhan Open final will be the first of many meetings between them.
“I would like to congratulate Jess on an incredible tournament,” she said.
“You are playing a lot of three-setters, you are a three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because the odds would be in your favour in the third set.
“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms, and that really goes a long way.
“It still goes a long way, so I appreciate you, and it is great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more.
“So congratulations and thank you, it is an honour to share the court with you.”
Gauff praised the support shown by the Wuhan crowd and revealed that she had to buy an extra suitcase to get all the gifts Chinese fans had bought her back to the USA.
“I would like to thank my family back watching at home, my mum and dad, my grandparents, and my brothers,” she added.
“Everyone that I love, all those who keep me sane on and off the court.
“I really appreciate you guys, and even though you are far away, your support is felt.
“Then I would like to give a huge thank you to all the Chinese fans who have been supporting me, here and in Beijing.
“You guys have gone even beyond expectations. I literally had to bring an extra suitcase because of all the gifts that I have received, so thank you all so much.”
Sights set on WTA Finals title
Up next for Gauff is some much-needed rest as she looks to recharge for one “final push” this season.
The American will next be in action at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the eight best players of 2025 will be vying for the title.
Gauff is the defending champion but Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, Pegula, Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina will be out to dethrone the 21-year-old.
However, after her latest triumph, she will begin her defence full of confidence.
“I think I’ll probably take a couple days off and enjoy [the Wuhan Open win],” Gauff said. “I’m going to a music festival I’m excited about. And then yeah, get ready for the final push of the season, and definitely it gives me a lot more confidence going into WTA Finals, especially how the mid part of the season went for me, especially in New York and everything.
“So it gives me a lot of confidence to make that chance to try to defend that title. Obviously, winning it last year, I know how tough it is to do, so I’m just gonna take it match by match, and hopefully you can end up with a trophy.”