Coco Gauff Silences Critics With Record-Breaking Win Over Jasmine Paolini at Wuhan Open

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.