All-American Blockbuster: Pegula and Gauff to Clash in Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open Final
Wuhan, China — The Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 event of the 2025 season, is set for an electrifying, all-American conclusion as the No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula and the No. 3 seed Coco Gauff prepare to face off on Sunday. This highly anticipated singles final at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center will be the first all-American WTA 1000 final of the year, providing a fitting climax to the competitive Asian swing.
The road to the final for both Americans was paved with high-stakes victories. Jessica Pegula pulled off the upset of the tournament, ending World No. 1 and three-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka’s perfect 20-match winning streak in Wuhan with a dramatic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) semifinal triumph. Pegula’s victory over the top seed, a contest of grit and power, saw the veteran American overcome a 2-5 deficit in the final set, saving match points before clinching the tiebreak.
Coco Gauff, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, secured her spot by defeating No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 in a semifinal match characterized by numerous service breaks. The 21-year-old Gauff, already a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, will be competing in her fifth career WTA 1000 final, and her third at this level in 2025. A victory would secure her a second WTA 1000 title on hard court, matching a feat she achieved last year.
The Head-to-Head and History
The dynamic between Pegula, 31, and Gauff, 21, is unique on the tour, as they are not only fierce singles rivals but also successful doubles partners, having reached World No. 1 together in the past. In their singles rivalry, Pegula leads the head-to-head record 4-2.
Their six previous encounters have been intense, with Pegula having won three of their last four meetings, including a significant win at the 2023 WTA Finals semifinal. Pegula’s wins have often been decisive on hard courts, the same surface as the Wuhan Open. However, Gauff claimed a straight-sets victory over Pegula in the round-robin stage of the 2024 WTA Finals. Their rivalry is truly an American duel of generations, with Pegula’s disciplined counterpunching and experience battling Gauff’s extraordinary athleticism and explosiveness. The upcoming final will be the first time they have met in 2025.
Recent Meetings on Tour (Singles):
| Tournament | Round | Winner | Score | Surface |
| WTA Finals (Saudi Arabia), 2024 | Round 1 | C. Gauff (3) | 6-3, 6-2 | Hard |
| Berlin (Germany), 2024 | Semifinals | J. Pegula (4) | 7-5, 7-6(2) | Grass |
| WTA Finals (Mexico), 2023 | Semifinals | J. Pegula (5) | 6-2, 6-1 | Hard |
| Montreal (Canada), 2023 | Quarterfinals | J. Pegula (4) | 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 | Hard |
| Eastbourne (Great Britain), 2023 | Quarterfinals | C. Gauff (5) | 6-3, 6-3 | Grass |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates), 2022 | Round of 32 | J. Pegula | 6-4, 6-4 | Hard |
Tale of the Tape: Career Statistics
Both athletes bring a formidable record to the final, with Pegula holding the edge in overall career singles wins, but Gauff having accumulated more prize money at a younger age.
| Statistic | Jessica Pegula (USA) | Coco Gauff (USA) |
| Singles Rank | No. 6 | No. 3 |
| Career-High Singles Rank | No. 3 (Oct 2022) | No. 2 (June 2024) |
| Singles Titles | 9 | 10 |
| Career Prize Money | $20,461,452 | $28,468,121 |
| Singles Win/Loss Record | 480/266 | 271/113 |
| Doubles Titles | 7 | 10 |
Gauff, the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion, has a slightly better career singles winning percentage (70.6%) compared to Pegula’s (64.4%). Notably, Gauff’s total career prize money has eclipsed Pegula’s, reflecting the significant earnings from her major tournament victories and her younger start on the professional tour.
Implications for the WTA Finals
The Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open holds massive significance as the final WTA 1000 event, offering 1,000 ranking points to the champion and 650 points to the runner-up, along with a top prize of $596,000. The outcome of this final is a major factor in the final scramble for the remaining spots at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gauff has already secured her place in the year-end championships, having qualified earlier in the season. For Pegula, a title would not only be her fourth WTA 1000 crown but would also cement her position near the top of the Race to the WTA Finals, virtually guaranteeing her a spot in the elite eight-player field.
Preview: The Final Showdown
The match is scheduled for Sunday, October 12, 2025, not before 18:30 local time, on the Center Court hard surface.
Gauff has been dominant on return throughout the tournament. Despite struggling with seven double faults in her semi-final win, the third seed’s ferocious returning game saw her break Paolini’s serve on 7 of 9 opportunities. This ability to pressure the opponent’s serve will be crucial against Pegula.
Pegula’s mental fortitude shone brightly in her semi-final against Sabalenka. She converted 7 of 12 break points and demonstrated superb consistency to wear down the top seed. Her counter-punching game and defensive skills, honed over years on the tour, will be put to the ultimate test by the younger, aggressive Gauff.
“I’m really happy with how I played today,” Gauff stated after her semifinal victory, acknowledging the difficulty of the match and expressing her focus for the final. “But overall, I’m just going to focus on my side of the court and try to control the things I can control”. The winner will lift the coveted Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open trophy, adding a significant WTA 1000 title to her collection and heading into the WTA Finals as one of the tour’s most in-form players.
