Coco Gauff has withdrawn from the Wuhan Open, ending her chance to defend the WTA 1000 title she won there in 2025. Gauff said she needed time for rest and recovery after a long season, with the tournament scheduled to begin on 12 October and conclude on 18 October.
Gauff’s decision follows her fourth-round exit at the China Open, where Elise Mertens beat her 6-3, 6-3. The WTA reported that Gauff had described herself as flat after that match, having made 34 unforced errors and eight double faults. She had previously beaten Camila Osorio and junior world No. 1 Sun Xinran in Beijing before Mertens stopped her run.
The 2025 Wuhan champion said, through a statement shared by the tournament, that she was disappointed to miss an event she enjoyed playing but felt that her body required a break. Her withdrawal removes the reigning singles champion from the final WTA 1000 tournament on this season’s calendar.
A title defence ends before the draw
Gauff’s absence is significant because of how decisively she won in Wuhan last year. According to the WTA, she went through the tournament without losing a set and beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the final. It was her second title of the 2025 season and her 11th WTA singles title at that point.
The WTA says Gauff won all five matches in her 2025 title run, so she will not have the opportunity to begin a defence of that championship in 2026.
Her decision also comes after an intensive spell in Beijing. Gauff reached the last 16 before losing to Mertens and said afterwards that she had not moved well and had not played well. The WTA reported that she had identified rest as her immediate priority.
Gauff remains fifth on the PIF WTA Race to the Finals leaderboard, according to the WTA. The 2026 Wuhan champion will earn 1,000 ranking points.
What the Wuhan field now looks like
Wuhan will be the ninth edition of the event, played on outdoor hard courts at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre. Main-draw singles matches are due to start on 12 October, with the singles final scheduled for 18 October. The WTA lists 1,000 ranking points for the champion and total tournament prize money of $4,088,211.
For UK viewers, the singles final is scheduled not before 11.30am BST on 18 October, following the doubles final. The WTA schedule places the quarter-finals on 16 October and semi-finals on 17 October, meaning Gauff’s withdrawal was confirmed before main-draw play began.
Aryna Sabalenka is set to be the highest-ranked player in the field after world No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew with a foot injury. Sabalenka is also the only former Wuhan champion listed to compete, while Pegula is due to return to the WTA Tour for the first time since the US Open.
Gauff and Naomi Osaka are both absent, while the WTA’s event guide also lists withdrawals for Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys, Anastasia Potapova and Karolina Pliskova. Zheng Qinwen, who reached the Wuhan final in 2024, has been named as Osaka’s replacement in the draw.
The projected top eight seeds are Sabalenka, Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova, Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk. Those eight players are due to receive byes into the second round, although the WTA noted that entry lists remain subject to change. The singles field has 56 players, and the draw ceremony is scheduled for 10 October.
For Gauff, the immediate competitive consequence is straightforward: she will not have the chance to compete for the 1,000 ranking points awarded to the Wuhan champion or attempt to repeat a title run in which she did not drop a set. Her stated focus is rest and recovery after a long year, while the Wuhan draw will proceed without its defending champion.