This year, Jasmine Paolini defeated Coco Gauff in three matchups between the two. So, entering the Wuhan Semifinal stage, the writing on the wall was quite clear for the American. Although she wasn’t in her best form – hitting seven double faults, broken five times, and winning less than 28% of her second-serve points – Gauff tumbled, literally, into a point at the net to snap the Italian doubles star’s three-match winning streak. The 6-4, 6-3 win wasn’t easy. Hence, when ESPN made a typo while sharing the achievements of the 21-year-old, she was quick to correct it.

After the win, the 21-year-old star took to Instagram to share a post from Andscape, an ESPN subsidiary, after the page uploaded a carousel celebrating her Wuhan Open heroics. The post opened with a photo of Gauff’s winning moment captioned, “Coco Guaff becomes youngest player to reach both Beijing and Wuhan finals.” A great tribute, except for one small detail. Kudos if you already caught it because Gauff definitely did.

Eagle-eyed Gauff caught the typo in the post: “Guaff.” In a lighthearted manner, she reposted the story to her own Instagram, adding a simple yet firm correction request: “gauff* 🙏🏾🙏🏾.”

Other than that, the post was a flawless celebration of the young tennis star. The next few slides featured Gauff’s on-court joy in full bloom: her radiant smile, her camera-selfie moment, and her infectious energy. In one video, she addressed her fans, saying, “Hey guys, I just won my semi final match here in Wuhan. Super excited to be in the final and be sure to support me tomorrow, bye.” The final image, captioned “Finalist,” cemented her achievement.

That win also leveled the H2H scoreline between the two to 3-3, a detail Gauff herself was quick to clarify. When a reporter mentioned Paolini’s 3-0 lead, Gauff playfully corrected them: “Well, it’s just 3-0 this year, I think it’s even now, so. I am really happy with how I played today. It was tough, especially playing on the serve, but I did what I needed to do to get through.”

The American and the Italian have met for a total of six times now. In 2021 and 2023, Gauff advanced the 29-year-old. However, this year, Paolini has come on top every time until now.

Saturday’s win wasn’t just a one-off moment. Her Wuhan Open performance is a continuation of her Beijing form, having beaten the likes of Belinda Bencic and Leylah Fernandez before falling to Wimbledon and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova in the final.

The victory marked another milestone in her fast-rising career. Before even stepping onto the semifinal court, Gauff had already etched her name in history. She became the only American player with the most WTA 1000 semifinal appearances before turning 22, surpassing both Serena and Venus Williams, an achievement that speaks volumes about her trajectory.

Since 1990, only two legends, Martina Hingis (33) and Maria Sharapova (15), have reached more Tier 1/WTA 1000 semifinals than Gauff’s current tally of 12.

Now, the stage is set for an all-American final.

Gauff will face Jessica Pegula, who mounted a fierce comeback to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the other semifinal, her seventh three-set victory in her last eight matches. Pegula leads their H2H 4-2.

As the Wuhan Open finale approaches, Gauff stands on the cusp of another defining moment. From correcting typos to correcting records, she’s done it all with poise, humor, and fire.

And as she chases one more title under the Chinese lights, one thing is certain: this time, everyone will get her name right. But before the showdown, she has a few special words for her journey so far.

Coco Gauff shares emotional message after reaching the Wuhan finals

Entering the match with a 0-3 record against Jasmine Paolini in 2025, Coco Gauff opened with a flawless hold at love. The opening minutes set a tense rhythm, as the two players traded five straight service holds, each testing the other’s composure. The calm, however, was just the prelude to an electrifying flurry of breaks that would define the night. In the first set, Gauff seized the initiative. Game after game, the returning player dictated the tempo, and it was the French Open champion who capitalized on the critical moments. She broke Paolini to claim the opening set 6-4 in just 38 minutes.

The second set began with Paolini striking first, breaking for a 1-0 lead. But every breakthrough was fleeting, as she was immediately broken back each time, falling into a pattern of short-lived momentum. Gauff remained steadfast, turning each opportunity into control. Gauff won her first second-serve point of the set and held for 4-3, swinging momentum decisively in her favor. From there, she broke Paolini repeatedly, seven straight times and seven of nine return games, before finishing the match on her own terms. The final point came at the net.

“I did what I needed to do to get through,” Gauff reflected after the match. “I’ve played (a few) finals this year so I have a lot of experience, but regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’m really happy with the effort that I put in for this tournament.”

Looking ahead, the stage is set for a historic WTA final. The two Americans and former doubles partners will meet for the first time in a WTA singles final. Regardless of the outcome, the trophy will go to someone other than Aryna Sabalenka for the first time since 2017. Who are you backing?