WTA Finals: Coco Gauff’s serve collapses again as Pegula takes all-American showdown

Sunday, 02 November 2025 at 19:10

Jessica Pegula won the all-American duel against Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2 in her WTA Finals debut. The 31-year-old star defeated the defending champion in a tight three-set match, where Gauff's service errors were once again a problem—totaling 17 double faults.

The World No. 5 showed consistency in a match that was a rollercoaster full of breaks, with 9 breaks for Pegula and 5 for Gauff. The 2024 US Open runner-up thus begins her fourth WTA Finals appearance with a victory and positions herself in second place in the group, trailing Aryna Sabalenka.

Pegula secures lead after wild first set

The first set was marked by irregularities in the serve of both players, as neither managed to hold serve early on. Everything started with cross breaks (both to love), resulting in a total of 5 consecutive breaks: 3 for Pegula and two in favor of Gauff, who once again showed problems with double faults—totaling 5 in the set.

In fact, both players were more effective on the return: Gauff won only 34% of points on her serve, while Pegula only won 50%. Nonetheless, Pegula was the first to successfully defend her service game—around the 6th game—and things stabilized partially. Pegula managed to stay ahead on the scoreboard, and at 5-3 in her favor, she secured her 4th break of the set, taking the lead 6-3.

Gauff squanders set point, then prevails in second-set tie-break

At the start of the second set, Gauff managed to pull ahead with an opening break, holding serve to lead 2-0. The match tightened in terms of both players' serving capacity. Gauff maintained the lead, but Pegula kept pace with the 2-time Grand Slam champion.

The score reached 5-3 with the advantage for Gauff, but then came the reaction from Pegula, who saved a delicate moment on her serve and then took advantage of the tension—including a double fault from her rival—to secure a break that brought her back into the match. The score reached 5-5 and there were again cross breaks, in which Gauff wasted a set point, and everything went to a tie-break, where the 21-year-old ultimately prevailed over her former doubles partner.

Gauff's service woes resurface, allowing Pegula to claim third set

Tension ran high at the start of the third set, again featuring cross breaks and opportunities for both players. Gauff continued to show clear deficiencies with her first serve, committing several more double faults, and started to find it increasingly difficult to keep up with her rival's pace.

It was this irregularity that allowed Pegula to take command of the match in the final stages. Surpassing two hours of play, she secured two consecutive breaks—and a total of 5 games in a row—before closing out the victory 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2. During the third set alone, Gauff committed another 5 double faults, totaling 17 throughout the match. The inconsistency on serve resulted in Gauff winning only 48% of her service points, compared to 56% for Pegula.

Match Statistics Gauff vs. Pegula

Gauff	VS	Pegula
	Service
8	Aces	5
17	Double Faults	1
54% (62/115)	1st Service Percentage	65% (60/92)
65% (40/62)	1st Service Points Won	70% (42/60)
28% (15/53)	2nd Service Points Won	34% (12/35)
50% (9/18)	Break Points Saved	38% (3/8)
40% (6/15)	Service Games	64% (9/14)
	Return
30% (18/60)	1st Return Points Won	35% (22/62)
66% (23/35)	2nd Return Points Won	72% (38/53)
	Other
2h 15m	Match Duration	2h 15m

Sabalenka and Pegula lead after Day Two

With this result, the first round of the Steffi Graf Group concludes with Aryna Sabalenka as the clear leader—after securing a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini—giving her a good game differential advantage after her first match. Pegula is in second place after her first victory.

The two group leaders will face each other on Tuesday, November 4th, seeking the group leadership, while Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini will seek to stay alive in the Round Robin, as one of them could be practically eliminated if they suffer a defeat for the second consecutive match.

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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