Following her straight-sets win over compatriot Jessica Pegula in the 2025 Wuhan Open final, Coco Gauff received touching messages from her boyfriend, Jalen Sera, and her childhood best friend, Jamilah Snells, both of whom took to social media to celebrate her success.
How Did Coco Gauff Dominate Her Way to the 2025 Wuhan Open Title?
The Wuhan Open victory marked another high point in Gauff’s dominant 2025 season. Entering the tournament as the third seed, the American navigated the draw without dropping a single set along the way. After earning a first-round bye, she breezed past Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-1, 6-0, and followed it up with a 6-3, 6-2 win against local favorite Zhang Shuai.
Her momentum carried into the quarterfinals, where she overpowered Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-0, before dispatching seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals to book her spot in the final.
In the championship clash, Gauff rallied from an early 0-3 deficit in the second set to defeat her close friend and doubles partner Pegula 6-4, 7-5, sealing her third WTA 1000 singles title after Cincinnati in 2023 and Beijing in 2024. The win also marked her 11th career singles title and her second trophy of 2025, following her French Open triumph earlier in the year.
COCO WINS IN WUHAN! 🤩@CocoGauff beats Pegula 6-4, 7-5 to win the title 🏆#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/TkLv8p9ru4
— wta (@WTA) October 12, 2025
The young star shared her joy on Instagram, posting a carousel of photos from the final in which she was seen smiling, embracing the trophy, and celebrating with her team. “title number 11 & 3rd wta 1000 trophy!!!! and it tastes so sweet 🥰 Thank you everyone for your love and support 🫂 James 1:2-3🙏🏾,” Gauff captioned her post.
What Were Jalen Sera and Jamilah Snells’ Reactions to Gauff’s Win?
Among the flood of congratulatory messages that followed, her boyfriend Sera’s playful reaction stood out. Sera reshared her post on his Instagram Story with the caption, “AWOOOOO!”, a nod to Gauff’s nickname given by her fanbase from her China Open campaign, where supporters affectionately referred to her as a “wolf.”
Interestingly, the nickname originated not from Gauff herself, but from Sera, whose favorite animal happens to be the wolf.
Sera also commented on her post, writing, ” Wow!💫” and Gauff replied by sending a wolf emoji.
Adding to the outpouring of affection was Gauff’s longtime best friend, Snells, who commented under the Instagram post with a jubilant, “😍😍😍 yessssss,” to which Gauff replied affectionately, “love you bestieee.”
Sera, a musician and aspiring actor from Atlanta, Georgia, has been a steady presence in Gauff’s life since 2023. The pair share a charming backstory, as Gauff’s mother, Candi, was once Sera’s fourth-grade teacher.
Their friendship eventually blossomed into romance, and by June 2025, Gauff confirmed their two-year anniversary in a video collaboration with Bose. She has often credited Sera for keeping her grounded amid the pressures of professional tennis, describing him as someone who helps her maintain balance and perspective off the court.
