In a gripping three-set thriller under Beijing’s lights on September 28, 2025, world No. 3 Coco Gauff defended her China Open title with a nail-biting 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, securing her second straight crown at the WTA 1000 event and etching her name into the history books. The 21-year-old American, who claimed the inaugural Riyadh WTA Finals title last year for a record $4.8 million payday, turned a 2-hour-45-minute marathon into a defining moment: Her 150th WTA-level win on hard courts, making her the youngest player to reach the milestone since Caroline Wozniacki in 2011. Gauff’s resilience—saving match points and firing 38 winners—propels her to 10 career singles titles, including two Slams (2023 US Open, 2025 French Open), and locks in her WTA Finals spot, where she’ll defend as the top American seed.
The Final: A Battle of Grit and Glory
Gauff, entering as the No. 2 seed and defending champ after her 2024 demolition of Karolina Muchova, faced a stern test from Fernandez (world No. 25), their third meeting this year (Gauff now leads 3-0). The first set went Gauff’s way with a break at 5-4, her serve holding firm at 75% points won despite early double faults. Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, leveled in the second, capitalizing on Gauff’s unforced errors (28 total) with blistering backhands and 42 unforced errors of her own in a topsy-turvy affair.
The decider was pure drama: Fernandez broke for 5-4 and earned two match points at 5-4, 15-40, but Gauff’s athleticism shone—lunging for a forehand winner to save the first, then an ace to erase the second. She broke back immediately and sealed it on her first match point with a cross-court backhand, collapsing in joy as the Lotus Court crowd—many waving US flags—erupted. “It was tough, but I believed,” Gauff said in her on-court interview, crediting her team’s tweaks to her serve post-US Open (where she fell to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round). This triumph adds 1,000 ranking points and $1.2 million to her 2025 haul ($5.2 million total), edging her closer to No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the race.
The Milestone: Youngest Hard-Court Ace Since Wozniacki
Gauff’s Beijing masterclass didn’t just defend her title—it unlocked a career-defining stat, per OptaAce. At 21 years and 7 months, she’s the third-youngest woman to hit 150 hard-court WTA wins, behind only Wozniacki (20 years, 10 months in 2011) and Kim Clijsters (21 years, 2 months in 2003). This edges her ahead of peers like Aryna Sabalenka (23 years for 150) and Swiatek (still at 142). “Hard courts are my happy place,” Gauff reflected, tying the feat to her junior dominance (four junior Slams) and pro breakthrough.
| Milestone Comparison | Player | Age at 150th Hard Win | Year |
|———————–|——–|———————–|——|
| **Coco Gauff** | 21y 7m | 2025 | Beijing |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 20y 10m| 2011 | – |
| Kim Clijsters | 21y 2m | 2003 | – |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 23y 1m | 2022 | – |
Gauff’s hard-court record now stands at 150-45 (.769 win rate), with Beijing her seventh title on the surface (six WTA 1000s or better). It’s a timely boost after a clay-heavy 2025 (RG win, Madrid/Rome finals) and US Open rust—her first title since June’s French Open epic over Sabalenka.
Gauff’s 2025 Rollercoaster: From Clay Queen to Hard-Court Heir
This season’s been a whirlwind: Gauff’s RG triumph made her a two-Slam teen, but hard-court hiccups followed—US Open round of 16 exit, Korea Open semis loss to Krejcikova. Beijing reignites her fire, especially sans coach Brad Gilbert (parted in August; now with biomechanics guru Gavin MacMillan). “I’m learning to trust my game again,” she said, eyeing Wuhan (starts October 6) for a potential back-to-back sweep. As the only player with 10+ wins at Beijing since 2004 (now 11, youngest ever), Gauff’s Asian affinity shines—her Mandarin phrases in pressers (nodding to Beijing’s “cool culture”) endear her further.
X exploded with praise: @WTAInsider’s clip of her match-point roar hit 50K views, fans dubbing her “the hard-court heartbeat.” Rivals chimed in—Swiatek: “Incredible fight, Coco—see you in Riyadh.” With WTA Finals qualification sealed (top-8 race lead at 5,200 points), Gauff’s not just defending; she’s defining an era. At 21, her milestones scream longevity—watch for more history in Wuhan. Congrats, Coco: From Flushing phenom to Beijing boss. 🇺🇸🏆
