Aryna Sabalenka’s remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat against Coco Gauff in the Wuhan Open semifinals on Saturday has propelled her into her 10th WTA 1000 final. The Belarusian star, who has a formidable 6-3 record in her previous WTA 1000 finals, will now face either Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the championship match.
Sabalenka’s victory over Gauff was a testament to her resilience and determination. After dropping the first set 6-1 and trailing 4-2 in the second, she rallied back with astonishing force, winning seven consecutive games to take the second set and establish a 3-0 lead in the third.
Gauff, who had won nine consecutive matches in China, fought back to level the third set, but Sabalenka’s unwavering focus and powerful serve proved too much to overcome. The match ended with both players recording identical winners and unforced errors, but Sabalenka’s superior ace-to-double fault ratio (2-2 to Gauff’s 4-21) ultimately made the difference.
Sabalenka’s success in Wuhan is a continuation of her impressive form in recent months. She has won 19 of her last 20 matches, including back-to-back titles in Cincinnati and the US Open. Her only loss during this stretch came against Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Open last week.
The Wuhan Open has been a particularly fruitful tournament for Sabalenka. She has won the title twice before, in 2018 and 2019, and has never lost a match in the tournament. Her 16-0 record in Wuhan is a testament to her dominance on the hard courts of the Chinese city.
If Sabalenka can overcome either Zheng or Wang in the final, she will capture her seventh WTA 1000 crown and further cement her status as one of the top players in the world.
