Aryna Sabalenka staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the 2024 Wuhan Open, securing her spot in the final with a hard-fought three-set victory. The world No. 2 overcame a shaky start to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, marking her third final appearance at the WTA 1000 event in as many attempts.
Sabalenka looked to be in serious trouble early on, as Gauff dominated the first set and went up 4-2 in the second. The Belarusian had been broken five times in her first six service games, and the match seemed to be slipping away. However, Sabalenka turned things around dramatically, winning seven consecutive games to level the match and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the final set.
Gauff, the world No. 4 and recent China Open champion, fought back to 4-4 in the decider. But with Gauff serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Sabalenka capitalized on her second match point to secure a crucial break and seal the victory. This win ended Gauff’s nine-match winning streak, which included her dominant run to the China Open title.
Reflecting on the intense battle, Sabalenka said, “This definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career, crowd-wise. It’s like another Grand Slam final match. Coco is an incredible player, and we’ve had tough battles in the past. She’s in great shape, and I knew I had to work really hard to get the win.”
Sabalenka’s victory also puts her closer to overtaking world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the WTA rankings. With 9,366 points, Sabalenka is now just 419 points behind Swiatek, who hasn’t played since the US Open. A title win in Wuhan would leave Sabalenka only 69 points behind the Polish star, setting up an exciting race for the year-end No. 1 spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Gauff’s 21 double faults in the match—nine in each of the second and third sets—proved costly. Sabalenka, who has struggled with her own serve in the past, sympathized with the young American, saying, “I feel for her, having gone through the same thing. It’s tough, but I’m sure she’ll overcome it and continue to be one of the greatest players.”
Sabalenka is now eyeing her third Wuhan Open title, having previously won the event in 2018 and 2019. She will face either Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.