Gauff’s Youth vs. Pegula’s Grit in a Thrilling Wuhan Open 2025 Final Battle
Third seed Coco Gauff is set to face sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the Wuhan Open 2025 final, a clash of Gauff’s flawless run and Pegula’s three-setter resilience. In the semifinals, Gauff eased past seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in straight sets despite serving issues, while Pegula shocked defending champion and top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller decided by a tiebreak. Both received byes in the first round. Gauff, 21, has yet to drop a set this week, becoming the youngest player ever to reach a Wuhan Open final.
She has cruised past qualifier Moyuka Uchijima, wild card Shuai Zhang, Laura Siegemund, and Paolini. Her season highlight remains her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, supplemented by back-to-back clay finals in Madrid and Rome. She also reached the Cincinnati quarterfinals, the US Open fourth round, and the Beijing semifinals, hitting 165 aces, winning 68.6% of first-serve points, and converting 53.9% of break points.
Pegula’s path this week has been tougher, surviving three-set battles against Hailey Baptiste, ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, qualifier Katerina Siniakova, and Sabalenka. Pegula has combined early exits with title runs in Austin, Charleston, and Bad Homburg, defeating McCartney Kessler, Sofia Kenin, and Iga Swiatek in those finals, and finishing runner-up in Adelaide and Miami. She also reached the US Open and Beijing semifinals, hitting 168 aces, winning 67.9% of first-serve points, 45.1% of return points, and converting 45.2% of break points in 64 matches.
Jessica Pegula holds a 4‑2 edge in her head-to-head series against Coco Gauff. Gauff’s two wins came in straight sets, at the 2023 Eastbourne quarterfinal and the opening round of the 2024 WTA Finals. Pegula, however, has dominated the remaining four encounters, including their very first meeting and three of their four most recent clashes, asserting herself as the more consistent force in this budding rivalry.
| Year | Event | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | WTA Finals | Round 1 | Coco Gauff | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2024 | Berlin | Semifinals | Jessica Pegula | 7-5, 7-6(2) |
| 2023 | WTA Finals | Semifinals | Jessica Pegula | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 2023 | Montreal | Quarterfinals | Jessica Pegula | 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 |
| 2023 | Eastbourne | Quarterfinals | Coco Gauff | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2022 | Dubai | Round of 32 | Jessica Pegula | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Coco Gauff | Category | Jessica Pegula |
| 3 | Current Ranking | 6 |
| 271-113 | Career W-L | 480-266 |
| 42-14 | YTD W-L | 46-18 |
| 10 | Career Titles | 9 |
| 2 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 1 | YTD Titles | 3 |
Gauff’s youth, rhythm, and unbeaten streak at Wuhan give her the momentum, but Pegula’s experience and ability to thrive in three-set thrillers make this a tight contest. The match could hinge on a late-set tiebreak, with Gauff narrowly prevailing, or Gauff in straight sets.
Prediction: Coco Gauff in straight sets
Coco Gauff is favored at -150, reflecting her flawless run this week and straight-sets victories, while Pegula (+124) will need to overcome fatigue from multiple three-set battles.
Here are the betting odds according to FanDuel:
Coco Gauff: -150
Jessica Pegula: +124
Here are the odds for total games as well as total sets for both players (sourced via FanDuel):
Total Sets Under 2.5: -200
Total Sets Over 2.5: +140
Total Games Under 21.5: -118
Total Games Over 21.5: -118
Set 1 Winner Gauff: -140
Set 1 Winner Pegula: +106
(According to FanDuel: FanDuel offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!)
Mandatory Image Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
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