Coco Gauff bounces back with dominant win over Paolini at WTA Finals

Defending champion Coco Gauff kept her WTA Finals title hopes alive with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.

After a disappointing opening loss to compatriot Jessica Pegula on Sunday, Gauff bounced back with a much more controlled and confident performance.

The 21-year-old American converted four of seven break points and saved four of five she faced, showcasing her resilience under pressure.

Statistically, Gauff was in full command — she struck 14 winners to Paolini’s seven, made 10 fewer unforced errors (30 to 40), and limited herself to just three double faults, a significant improvement from the 17 she committed in her first match.

Reflecting on her turnaround, Gauff credited her focus on simplifying her approach.

“I'm really happy with how I was able to turn it around — only three double faults, that’s a big difference,” Gauff said.

“It just shows I have the ability to serve like this. I went back to the basics, tried not to overcomplicate things. Maybe I was serving too hard against Jess, so I just slowed it down.”

Locked at 2-2 in the second set, Gauff surged ahead by winning the next four games to seal the match. The victory improved her record to 1-1 in the Stefanie Graf Group, keeping her campaign for back-to-back titles on track.

Paolini, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 and was eliminated from contention.

“Definitely a turnaround from my first match — that’s the beauty of this tournament, having another chance to prove yourself,” Gauff added.

Gauff will next face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday in a decisive clash to determine a spot in the semifinals of the season-ending event featuring the world’s top eight players.