Follow us on Google Discover Coco Gauff continued her fantastic season at the Wuhan Open, lifting the trophy in China after a final victory over Jessica Pegula.
Pegula congratulated Gauff following her success, which has doubled her WTA titles tally for the season after her triumph at the French Open.
Steve Johnson thinks Gauff has sent a warning to the rest of the WTA Tour after her efforts in Wuhan, where she didn’t drop a single set.
Gauff remains third in the WTA rankings after the victory, with the 21-year-old behind only Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
She’s won 47 and lost 14 matches in 2025 so far, with those efforts having helped her already qualify for the WTA Finals.
Photo by Wang He/Getty ImagesRoger Federer’s former coach says what Coco Gauff is better at than any other WTA player
Despite the success, Gauff has been named by Roger Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone as the player with the most to prove ahead of the year-end event.
As per Tennis Channel, he argued: “This is an important time for Coco Gauff to stabilize things in her career.
“It’s been a great year, highlighted by her impeccable run to the Roland Garros title, but there’s been some ups and downs in the months since – in large part due to a case of the serving yips.
“She’s admirably sought to solve that problem for good, and she just captured her first WTA 1000 title of the season in Wuhan.
“Her competitive spirit is second to none, so I think this is a great challenge and she will be really motivated to finish by defending her title in Riyadh.”
Jon Wertheim asks question of Coco Gauff ahead of the WTA Finals
Journalist Jon Wertheim agreed with Annacone that Gauff is indeed the player with the most to improve heading into the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month.
He commented: “Coco Gauff won one major this year, and yet, at times, seems to be a work in regress, not progress.
“And it is for reasons that have nothing to do with physical injury. Can she use this time to make inroads on her technique before 2026?”
Many WTA players will envy Gauff’s season so far, in which she has claimed both Grand Slam and WTA 1000 success.
At the same time, however, the two-time Grand Slam champion occupies top spot in the double faults tally with 405.
Remarkably, Ekaterina Alexandrova in second place has a figure of 280, with serving clearly still an issue for the American despite Gauff hiring biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan.
Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty ImagesChanda Rubin thinks former Grand Slam champion has point to prove before Riyadh
Offering a different name for the player with the most to prove ahead of the WTA Finals was former professional Chanda Rubin.
She opted to select 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, saying: “The WTA player that may feel they have something to prove heading into the end of the season is Elena Rybakina.
“She began the season with uncertainty and changes in her coaching team and that seemed to overshadow her tennis at times.
“She’s firmly back inside the top 10 and has a chance to make her third consecutive WTA Finals. Perhaps that is the motivation she needs to end the year on a high note.”
Rybakina has one title to her name this season, and is currently ninth in the Race to the WTA Finals, with only the top eight players qualifying.
Also on the outskirts of qualifying is Alexandrova in 10th, with Mirra Andreeva and Jasmine Paolini currently on track to clinch the final two spots.