By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 12, 2025Photo credits: Wuhan Open CVG
The Fruit Salad Queen feasted on another final.
Chinese fans nicknamed Coco Gauff “Fruit Salad Queen” for her habit of munching on fruit salad during changeovers.
Showing fierce appetite for the fight, Gauff solidified her status as Queen of Closure.
In an all-American final, Gauff charged through the final four games fending off her former doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in today’s thrilling Wuhan Open final.
It is Gauff’s third career WTA 1000 championship and she won it without dropping a set in five tournament victories.
In fact, the 25 games Gauff permitted en route to the title are the fewest a champion has surrendered in Wuhan Open history.
“I’d like to congratulate Jess on an incredible tournament,” said Gauff, who is the first American to win Wuhan since legendary Venus Williams in 2015. “When I came on tour you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms…
“So thank you, it’s an honor to share the court with you.”
The third-ranked Gauff captured her 11th career championship raising her record in hard-court finals to a perfect 9-0. Overall, Gauff, who was resurgent in Asia after a disappointing US Open defeat to Naomi Osaka last month, owns an 11-3 career finals record.
The sixth-seeded Pegula had won four of six prior meeting vs. Gauff and put herself in position to force a third today before an adrenalized Gauff showed strong closing kick. Pegula, who knocked off world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an inspired semifinal comeback, had won four three-setters in a row before running out of gas down the stretch today.
“I want to say congrats to Coco and her team,” Pegula said. “Amazing job. You played amazing tennis this week. I know we’ll see each other in a couple of weeks [at the WTA Finals]. It’s an honor to play you as a friend and fellow American, yeah, congrats.”
This first final between the two friends featured Pegula’s flat, deep strikes against Gauff’s eye-popping speed, court craft and variety. Frequently dabbing the short slice off both wings to bring Pegula forward, Gauff struck 11 more winners—24 to 13—and withstood eight double faults in a one hour, 42-minute triumph.
Bursting out of the blocks with purpose, Gauff won eight of the first 10 points to go up a break at 2-0.
Midway through the opening set, Pegula found her range and rhythm. Stepping up and driving her forehand, Pegula streaked through eight of nine points backing up a break with a love hold to level after eight games.
A gritty Gauff hung tough through a 10-point game holding for 5-4. Gauff thumped her two-handed backhand breaking for a one-set lead.
The Gauff second serve was shaky in the early stages of the second set. Pegula exploited six double faults charging out to a 3-0 lead.
Deploying her variety, Gauff was mixing in backhand and forehand slices and some drop shots as well.
The reigning Roland Garros champion provoked a pair of backhand errors as she broke back to even the second set after six games.
Pegula showed fine feel of her own, running down a drop shot and flicking a perfect backhand dropper response to break back for a 4-3 lead. That was the fifth break in the first seven games of the set.
When Pegula held at 30, she stretched her lead to 5-3 and was four points from a fifth consecutive decisive set.
The 21-year-old Gauff refused to crack.
The two-time Grand Slam champion reeled off 10 points in a row to regain control.
One of the longest points of this final ended with Gauff leaning into her two-hander crosscourt to go up 40-15. When Pegula shoveled a forehand deep, Gauff edged ahead 6-5.
The WTA Finals champion’s speed proved pivotal in the final game.
Streaking side-to-side Gauff ran down a fine Pegula volley and forced her former doubles partner to play one more volley. Pegula pushed her forehand volley wide giving Gauff a championship point at 30-40.
Chipping back a short forehand return to draw the sixth seed in, Gauff rifled a forehand pass and thrust her arms toward the sky closing her ninth career hard-court championship in one hour, 42 minutes.
