Jessica Pegula ended Aryna Sabalenka’s perfect record in Wuhan with a dramatic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) semi-final victory on Saturday, clawing back from 2-5 down in the final set to book a showdown with fellow American Coco Gauff.
Pegula, contesting her eighth consecutive three-set match, rallied once again to outlast the world No. 1 and reach her sixth final of the season. Sabalenka, the defending champion, entered the match with a 20-0 record in Wuhan but couldn’t close out the win despite serving for the match at 5-3 in the decider.
“That was crazy, I can’t believe I came back and won that,” said Pegula, who has won seven of her last eight three-setters over the past 17 days. “I’ve played so much tennis, so many tough matches, but I feel really strong right now and I’m just embracing it.”
Cooler conditions led to a high number of service breaks in both semi-finals. Pegula and Sabalenka exchanged five breaks in the first six games before the Belarusian steadied to take the opening set. Pegula bounced back with solid baseline play in the second, overcoming a mid-set dip to level the match.
The final set saw wild momentum swings. Pegula saved two match points after double-faulting four times while serving for the win at 6-5, before regrouping to dominate the tiebreak and earn just her third win in 11 meetings with Sabalenka.
Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 in a gritty, return-heavy semi-final, snapping a three-match losing streak to the Italian this year.
“It was 3-0 this year, but I think we’re even now,” said Gauff, who overcame shaky serving to reach her fifth career WTA 1000 final — and third in 2025. “It was tough, especially on serve, but I did what I needed to do to get through.”
The match featured a run of 11 consecutive service breaks before Gauff finally held serve in the seventh game of the second set to seize control. The two-time Grand Slam champion sealed the 82-minute win and now faces Pegula in an all-American final.
