Former French star Caroline Garcia hit the nail on the head when she said, “I think it’s quite something to see how harsh people are on Coco Gauff because she’s so young.” And let’s be honest: Coco Gauff stormed onto the WTA Tour at a turbulent time, as Serena Williams’ era was winding down, and the world instantly drew comparisons between the teen phenom and the legend herself. Serving errors shadowed her US Open campaign, tripping her against Naomi Osaka, and more recently, she stumbled again against Amanda Anisimova in the China Open semifinals, drawing intense scrutiny from critics. But Coco has the fire to flip scrutiny into glory, silencing naysayers with a record-shattering win over Jasmine Paolini at the Wuhan Open.

French Open champion Coco Gauff delivered a stuttering yet spirited performance, overcoming her own turbulence to outlast Jasmine Paolini and book her spot in the Wuhan Open final. The 21-year-old American fought past the seventh-seeded Italian 6-4, 6-3, marking her first final since her Roland Garros triumph in June. 

Yet numbers tell only part of the tale. According to Opta Ace, Gauff has dropped just 16 games en route to the final: the fewest since the event’s inception in 2014. And history follows her stride again: at 21 years and 207 days, Coco Gauff becomes the youngest player ever to reach the finals of both the China Open and the Wuhan Open.

The American third seed Coco Gauff fought through chaos and composure alike, taking the opening set after both players held serve through the first five games before an astonishing run of five straight breaks. It was a tug of war, momentum shifting, rhythm cracking, but Gauff’s will burned brighter each rally.

The second set unfolded with the same wild intensity. Paolini struck first, breaking for a 3-2 lead, only for Gauff to fire right back in the 11th consecutive game without a service hold. Finally, Gauff steadied her nerve, held serve for the first time in the set to edge ahead 4-3, broke once more, and then sealed the match with conviction. Her win now sets up a thrilling final against either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or compatriot Jessica Pegula.

“I’m 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,” Gauff said, her words echoing both relief and resolve.

When asked how she plans to handle her next opponent, either Sabalenka, whom she conquered in the French Open final, or Pegula, Gauff stayed grounded yet fierce. “Sabalenka and Pegula are great players… And I’ve lost to them both before. But overall, I’m just going to focus on my side of the court and try to control the things I can control,” she said, eyes set firmly on the finish line.

Currently ranked third in the world, Gauff’s rise has been nothing short of electric. With ten singles titles already, including two Grand Slam crowns, the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open, her story reads like a legacy in motion. After that Paris triumph, she said it “means a lot” to follow in Serena Williams’ footsteps, carrying the torch with fearless grace.

Now, she has surpassed both Serena and Venus Williams by becoming the American with the most semifinal appearances at WTA 1000 events before turning 22. Since 1990, only Martina Hingis (33) and Maria Sharapova (15) have reached more Tier 1/WTA 1000 semifinals than Gauff’s 12. 

And as she now readies for the Wuhan final, Coco Gauff stands not just as a champion, but as a record-breaking force rewriting the rhythm of women’s tennis.

Rick Macci shares crucial guidance for Coco Gauff’s 2026 season

Rick Macci, the legendary coach who once guided a young Serena Williams recently made a crucial observation about what the 21-year-old must do to overcome her serving struggles. Taking to X, he laid it out with precision: “Coco now understand even more she has to rewire the forehand and have a science based ATP blueprint with have the racquet go to the Outside of the body and develop two pronations that go quicker faster but will be shorter. She can do it,” he wrote, tagging Gauff at the end of his post.

In another statement, Macci doubled down on his belief in Gauff’s long-term greatness. His tone brimmed with conviction as he declared, “Her serve will become a weapon. If she unplugs this December does reconstructive surgery and rewires the muscle memory and learns the ATP forehand she will be able to hold the baseline and dictate instead of defend.” It was the voice of a mentor who knows what it takes to build legends.

Gauff’s recent semifinal defeat to Amanda Anisimova in China exposed the cracks Macci spoke of. The American prodigy looked visibly frustrated as Anisimova’s clean forehand and backhand returns cut through her defenses with surgical accuracy. The difference in poise and precision was glaring.

Despite landing 61 percent of her first serves, Gauff managed to win just 10 of 26 points behind them. Her second serve, meanwhile, faltered badly, yielding only 35 percent of the points. It was a performance that showed her vulnerabilities more clearly than ever.

Anisimova, in contrast, dominated with 67 percent first-serve accuracy, winning 84 percent of those points and converting nearly 63 percent of her break points. Gauff, by comparison, trailed far behind at 33 percent. The gap was undeniable.

Yet, the story is far from over. Gauff has fought her way back into the Wuhan Open final, ready to silence doubts once again. The question now echoes across the tennis world: can Coco Gauff rise, rebuild, and win it all this time?