“That’s just how tennis works,” Coco Gauff told a fellow player in the Wuhan locker room. “It always happens when you don’t expect it to.” And yet, for Gauff, magic keeps arriving right on cue in Asia. After a shaky US summer swing where her serve wobbled and confidence wavered, she once again found her fire overseas. In 2024, she conquered Beijing and stormed to the Wuhan semifinals; in 2025, she reversed the script, semis in Beijing, glory in Wuhan. The rhythm feels fated now, a fierce cycle of redemption and rise. And with that, Coco Gauff now mirrors the rare records of Serena and Venus Williams after her Wuhan Open triumph, as achievements seem to fall effortlessly at her feet.

A couple of hours after her Wuhan Open victory over fellow American Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff took to Instagram to let the joy flow through her words and stories. The 21-year-old, glowing with triumph, shared a carousel of posts that perfectly captured her sense of pride and gratitude. One of those stories featured a repost from Tennis Channel’s Instagram page with the caption, “Coco joins some elite company 🏆.” The image was a stunning collage of Coco and Serena Williams, celebrating Gauff’s feat of becoming the first player to win nine straight hard-court finals since Serena, who conquered twelve between the 2013 US Open and the 2015 Cincinnati Masters.

In another story, Gauff shared a fan post that read, “In elite company us 🤝🏾.” This time, the photo paired her with Venus Williams, a symbolic bridge between generations of American greatness. The post explained that Coco and Venus are now the only Americans to win the Wuhan Open, an honor that places Gauff directly in the footsteps of a legend she once idolized. The meaning was deeper than just a title; it was a statement, a generational echo of excellence.

But truth be told, Gauff’s Wuhan triumph was more than a collection of records. It was vintage Coco: fearless, defiant, and unstoppable. She stormed through the first set, unleashing her full arsenal of power and precision, then clawed her way back from 0-3 down in the second to avoid a decider and claim the crown in straight sets. It was tennis played with heart and hunger, the kind that silences doubt and sparks destiny.

The Wuhan Open title marks Gauff’s second trophy of the year, following her French Open triumph in June. It also serves as the 11th singles title of her young career, each one a marker of her relentless growth and refusal to stand still. At just 21, Coco continues to carve her name among the game’s fiercest competitors, balancing grace with grit, youth with authority.

The win also ensures that Gauff enters the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she is the defending champion from 2024, as the top-ranked American. For a player still shaping her prime, that’s a statement of consistency and command. 

Her connection with China, too, is becoming almost poetic. After winning Beijing in 2024 and now Wuhan in 2025, she becomes only the second player ever, after Caroline Garcia in 2017, to claim both WTA 1000 titles held in the country.

Even before hoisting the trophy in Wuhan, Gauff had already etched her name into record books. Her straight-sets win over Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals not only sealed her semifinal spot but also secured her a rare milestone: becoming the American with the most WTA 1000 semifinal appearances before turning 22 since the format began in 1990. With 12 to her name, she now surpasses both Serena and Venus, who each reached the final four 11 times before hitting that age mark.

Now, as Coco basks in the afterglow of victory, she stands in the light of history, but not just as an heir to the Williams legacy. In her words, in her fire, and in her fight, Coco Gauff embodies a new rhythm of greatness, one that feels destined, yet delightfully unpredictable.

Coco Gauff stuns Jessica Pegula with post-match message

During her victory speech, Coco Gauff peeled back the layers of her performance, revealing the perfect blend of emotion and strategy that fueled her win. Her words to Jessica Pegula were heartfelt yet fierce, delivered with the poise of a champion who knows exactly what it takes.

“You’re the three-set queen,” Gauff said, as reported by The National News. “So I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favor in the third set.”

That nickname, the three-set queen, couldn’t have been more fitting. Pegula had carved her path to the Wuhan final through eight grueling three-set battles, including a jaw-dropping semifinal comeback from 5-2 down against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, snapping the defending champion’s 20-match winning streak at the event.

For Gauff, the mission was clear: finish it in two. Her tactical sharpness and fearless execution were the perfect counter to Pegula’s never-say-die resilience. Every rally felt like a duel of willpower, and Gauff made sure this one didn’t stretch into Pegula’s comfort zone.

Then, the tone softened. Beyond the rivalry, Gauff’s words took a personal, heartfelt turn, a moment of genuine respect and affection. “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 and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you,” she shared.

With this victory, Gauff improved to 11-3 in finals, while Pegula slipped to 9-11.

As Gauff heads toward the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the stage she conquered last year, the question now burns bright: will she defend her glory and script yet another masterpiece?