Coco Gauff has once again lit up the women’s tennis circuit, storming to her third WTA 1000 title with a powerful performance at the Wuhan Open. The 21-year-old American sensation dispatched compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in a gripping final on October 12, 2025, dropping just 25 games across five matches in the tournament. That’s no small feat—and it’s a statement to the rest of the field as the season barrels toward its dramatic conclusion in Riyadh.
This latest triumph marks Gauff’s 12th career singles title and her first WTA 1000 trophy since her Roland Garros conquest in June. With a 47-14 win-loss record this season, Gauff has firmly reestablished herself as one of the sport’s premier competitors. Her 2025 campaign has been nothing short of remarkable, boasting titles at the Australian Open, French Open, and now Wuhan, along with runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome. The numbers tell the story: Gauff is back, and she’s hungry for more.
Speaking to WTA.com after her Wuhan victory, Gauff radiated optimism. “This definitely gives me a lot more confidence going into the WTA Finals, after the way the mid-part of the season went for me, especially in New York,” she said, referencing her fourth-round exit at the US Open. “It gives me a lot of confidence to try to defend that title. Obviously, winning it last year, I know how tough it is to do, so I’m just going to take it match by match and hopefully I can end up with the trophy.”
Gauff’s mental resilience and aggressive baseline play were on full display throughout the Wuhan Open. Her ability to maintain composure under pressure and unleash her trademark power shots at key moments proved decisive. Pegula, who praised Gauff’s performance after the final, will join her in Riyadh as part of a formidable American contingent at the WTA Finals. Amanda Anisimova, fresh off her China Open title, and Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, round out the quartet of American hopefuls.
The stakes in Riyadh couldn’t be higher. Gauff currently leads Anisimova by a commanding 1,949 points in the race for the American year-end No. 1 spot, adding another layer of intrigue to the season finale. The WTA Finals, scheduled for November 1–8 in the Saudi capital, will see the world’s best gather for a shot at glory—and a hefty champion’s check. Last year, Gauff made history in Riyadh by becoming the first American to win the Finals since Serena Williams in 2014, toppling Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng in a dramatic three-set showdown. Along the way, she ousted world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, earning a record-setting $4.805 million payday.
But Gauff isn’t just focused on defending her crown—she’s also thinking about the future of the tournament itself. In a candid interview with Arab News, she weighed in on the ongoing debate about the WTA Finals’ location. “Because my last three finals, I’ve been in three different places, I definitely don’t think we should go to different places every year,” Gauff remarked. “Now, I don’t feel like I’ve been on a tour long enough to know like if 10 years is the right thing or not, because I’ve played in three different years. And I definitely think that there’s benefit to keeping a tournament there for at least two or three years in a row. I think that it builds a culture of that tournament in that area, which can bring more attention and also allow fans to, if they want to go to plan their trips and things – I think that was the issue with the two previous WTA Finals before last year’s, it was announced pretty late. And I don’t think that the turnout was great because of that. So I definitely think that there’s benefit to having stability there.”
Gauff’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among players and fans alike. After the WTA Finals’ planned decade-long stay in Shenzhen was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament bounced between Guadalajara, Fort Worth, and Cancun from 2021 to 2023, following a stint in Singapore from 2014 to 2018. With Riyadh now hosting the event from 2024 to 2026 as part of a three-year agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation, Gauff believes the move brings much-needed consistency. “For Riyadh, it was smart to just do three years, just to test the waters and see how it goes, considering that there was never a women’s professional event there. But from a player perspective, it definitely seemed like it was successful. I don’t know how it was logistically and all that, but from my experience, it seems successful. So I wouldn’t mind coming back in the future for longer than three years.”
The atmosphere in Riyadh last year left a lasting impression on Gauff. “I think sport has the power to do a lot of things and bring people together. And I felt like the energy was there when I was inside the stadium, that everyone was enjoying the tennis and coming together. People from all nationalities attending, some Americans, Chinese, everyone coming. I didn’t expect a lot of people to travel for the tournament, honestly. So, I was pretty impressed to see how many people came and I enjoyed the atmosphere.”
As the 2025 WTA Finals approach, Gauff’s hard court prowess stands out as a key asset. She’s a staggering 9-0 in hard court finals throughout her career—a testament to her comfort and confidence on the surface. “It’s definitely the surface I’m most true to, growing up I just liked the sureness of bounces & the sureness of knowing when I’m going to stop and go. A lot of people think it’s clay so idk the surface debate,” Gauff told the WTA and DAZN, with a smile.
The field in Riyadh promises fierce competition. Alongside the American stars, the world’s top-ranked players will vie for the prestigious title and a place in the history books. The Finals’ recent winners’ list reads like a who’s who of women’s tennis: Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Ashleigh Barty, Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia, Iga Swiatek, and now Gauff herself. The event’s legacy is undeniable, and its future looks bright—especially with young stars like Gauff leading the charge.
Looking ahead, the tennis calendar remains packed. The 2026 season will kick off in early January with the United Cup, but all eyes are fixed on Riyadh for now. Can Gauff defend her crown and cement her status as the sport’s new standard-bearer? With her confidence surging and her game firing on all cylinders, she’s certainly the player to watch as the WTA season reaches its thrilling climax.
For now, Coco Gauff stands tall as the reigning champion, a beacon of American excellence and a symbol of the sport’s ever-evolving landscape. The road to Riyadh promises drama, intensity, and maybe—just maybe—another chapter in the remarkable story of women’s tennis’ brightest star.