By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 4, 2025Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty
Scattering a ghastly 17 double faults in her opening WTA Finals loss, defending champion Coco Gauff played proactive bounce-back tennis today.
Perplexing Jasmine Paolini with jumping kick serves and jolting topspin forehands, Gauff reaped the rewards of the big bounce reeling off the final five games racing to a 6-3, 6-2 round-robin victory.
The 21-year-old Gauff evened her record to 1-1 in Steffi Graf Group play, keeping her semifinal hopes alive, while Paolini, who dropped to 0-2, is officially eliminated from advancing to the final four.
“I just try to give myself the best chance to win,” Gauff told Tennis Channel’s Coco Vandeweghe in her on-court interview. “I felt like my last match I wasn’t so positive. So I was trying to just not let that be a replay of today.”
If world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula in straight sets in today’s second round-robin match, she advances to the semifinals. If Pegula, who defeated Gauff in her opener, prevails, then she moves on as Steffi Graf Group winner with Sabalenka and Gauff facing off Thursday with a semifinal spot on the line.
Gauff is playing to become the first woman to successfully defend the WTA Finals crown since legendary Serena Williams won her third consecutive championship in 2014. The 2022 finalist Sabalenka is bidding for her first WTA Finals title.
“I think knowing that no one has defended in however many years definitely takes the pressure off,” Gauff said. “Honestly, it’s a a reason: You’re playing the top eight in the world. This round-robin format is so hard.
“I’m used to, when I’m losing, sulking in bed for a few days. And having to come back and play matches is so unique. Yeah, I’m just happy I was able to get through this one today.”
The defending champion is on the board! 💥@CocoGauff defeats Paolini 6-3, 6-2 and secures her first group win. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/BOdeFbSsqp
— wta (@WTA) November 4, 2025
Today’s opening singles match was a rematch of the Rome final in May, which saw Paolini carve up Gauff 6-4, 6-2.
Drained by illness and fatigue, Paolini, who is playing both singles and doubles in Riyadh, did not play her standard feisty tennis today. She looked lethargic, was a half-step slow to the ball, sprayed some wild running backhands wide and was generally pushed around by Gauff in the seconds set.
Still, most of Paolini’s problems were caused by Gauff, who played much cleaner tennis and struck with more conviction than she did in her opening loss. Against the flatter-hitting Pegula, Gauff, who hits her forehand with the most extreme western grip of the elite eight, sometimes had trouble getting under the ball and controlling her drive.
Today, Gauff came out with a clear game plan: Hit the kick serve to provide plenty of margin over the net, minimize the double faults, then drive heavy topspin forehands deep in the court to push Paolini back into defensive position and set herself up for winning drives down the line.
Gauff executed that game plan effectively. Today, she served 60 percent, won 12 of 16 second-serve points and double faulted just three times—14 fewer doubles than she clanked against Pegula.
Sometimes, Gauff, one of the best pure athletes on Tour, still has a habit of jumping into the forehand. That not only causes her to lose the leg drive foundation of the shot but also makes her open up and sometimes spray it. But by and large, Gauff hit her forehand with much more precision and self-belief today persistently pushing Paolini into the corners.
The eighth-seeded Italian led love-30 in the opening game only to see Gauff streak through eight straight points breaking at love for a 2-0 lead.
The much-analyzed Gauff forehand was a bit streaky early, but it was there for her when she got down love-40.
Digging in, Gauff reeled off six points in a row holding for 3-0.
Battling illness upon arriving to Riyadh, Paolini wasn’t quite as energetic and demonstrative in the first set as she typically is on court. Still, Paolini exploited a couple of double faults breaking back for 3-4 then went up 40-love in the eighth game.
Credit Gauff, who was playing heavy topspin forehands that bounded shoulder high on the 5’4” Italian, for keeping the ball out of Paolini’s strike zone and setting up her lethal backhand. From 40-love down, Gauff roared back reeling off nine consecutive points to snatch a one-set lead.
Gauff threw down her second love hold of the set wrapping up the opening set in 41 minutes despite 21 unforced errors. Paolini was more erratic committing one more unforced error, including a slew in that final game.
A sizzling backhand strike down the line helped Gauff hold at love for 2-all in the second set.
Then Gauff shifted into a higher gear sliding a forehand pass to break for 3-2. Gauff backed up the break at 15 for a 4-2 lead after 70 minutes of play.
The Paolini two-hander is usually a reliable shot, but her backhand failed her with a mis-hit and wayward drive sprayed wide. When Paolini slapped a forehand into net, Gauff broke again for 5-2. Gauff saved a break point serving out the match out a one hour, 18-minute triumph to keep her semifinal hopes alive.
