Gauff Reflects on Her Journey, Team`s Support, and Overwhelming Fan Love After WTA 1000 Victory
World No. 3, Coco Gauff, expressed her profound emotions following her impressive victory at the WTA 1000 Wuhan tournament. In a thrilling final, Gauff defeated her compatriot Jessica Pegula with a score of 6-4, 7-5.
“Congratulations, Jess, on an absolutely outstanding tournament. You`ve played so many three-set matches throughout this event; you truly are the queen of deciding sets! That`s precisely why I was so determined today not to prolong the match – I had a strong feeling that in a third set, the momentum and chances would definitely shift in your favor.”
“When I first entered the professional tour, you were among the very first people to welcome me with such warmth and kindness. That acceptance meant so much to me then, and it continues to hold significant value for me now. I genuinely appreciate it. It`s truly wonderful to finally compete against you in a final, and I sincerely hope this is just the first of many more such matches we`ll share. Congratulations once again; it`s a profound honor for me to share the court with you.”
Gauff also took the opportunity to extend her heartfelt thanks to her dedicated team, acknowledging their crucial support throughout the demanding Asian swing.
“I want to express my gratitude to my incredible team. This Asian series has been fantastic. A special mention goes to Jean-Christophe [Faurel, my coach] – initially, he wasn`t keen on me coming here, especially after I wasn`t feeling my best post-US Open. But I`m proud to say I proved him wrong! I`m quite stubborn, so perhaps he strategically said that to motivate me to really focus and deliver a strong performance.”
“A big thank you to Richard and Maria. We`ve also had some new additions; Joe joined us for the Asian leg, and it`s been great having him around – I really value his presence. Another new member of the team is Gavin, who is currently in South Africa, but he also made a significant contribution to this excellent result. Thank you all. We undoubtedly experience our fair share of highs and lows, but it`s for moments like these that all the challenges and hard work are truly worth it.”
Concluding her speech, Gauff reflected on the tournament`s success and expressed immense appreciation for the event staff and the passionate local fans.
“This has genuinely been an incredible tournament. The improvements implemented since last year were immensely important and undoubtedly made this event a much smoother experience for all of us. I am deeply grateful to all the staff, the tireless volunteers, and everyone who played a part in making this tournament possible. I am already eagerly looking forward to returning next year.”
“A huge, heartfelt thank you to all the Chinese fans and everyone who showed such amazing support for me both here in Wuhan and previously in Beijing. You absolutely exceeded all my expectations. I literally had to acquire an extra suitcase just to carry all the wonderful gifts I received! I truly believe it`s this kind of overwhelming positive energy and support that empowers me to perform so well here.”
