Aryna Sabalenka showed a remarkable display of empathy and resilience in her Wuhan Open semifinal victory against Coco Gauff. Gauff, a rising star in the tennis world, struggled mightily with her serve, committing a staggering 21 double faults. This proved to be her undoing as Sabalenka, who herself has faced similar serving woes in the past, rallied back from a set down to secure a 1-6 6-4 6-4 win.
Sabalenka, clearly aware of the pressure and frustration Gauff was experiencing, expressed her understanding of the situation. “I was playing that match thinking, ‘Well, girl, I feel you. I feel you like nobody else’,” Sabalenka shared with reporters. “I know what she’s going through. This is really tough. But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, she’s already one of the best players, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.”
Sabalenka’s own struggles with serving inspired her approach to the match. “I was just trying to put as much pressure on her as I could so she would go even crazier on her serve. She just dropped her level on her serve. I just felt like, ‘Okay, I still have some chances in this match’,” she explained. “I was pushing myself so hard to put balls back on the other side as much as I could.”
Now, Sabalenka, a two-time defending Wuhan Open champion, faces another formidable opponent in the final: Olympic champion and local hope Zheng Qinwen. While she acknowledged the potential lack of crowd support in the Wuhan Gymnasium, Sabalenka remained focused on her own performance. “This tournament feels like playing at home. Being the third time in the finals, hopefully I’ll get this beautiful trophy tomorrow,” she said. “But no expectations on support from the crowd. I have my team. I have my family. I have a lot of people who support me around the world. I’ll just focus on that.”
The final promises to be a thrilling contest as Sabalenka aims to solidify her dominance at the Wuhan Open while Zheng seeks to capitalize on home-court advantage and capture a prestigious title.
