Coco Gauff overtakes Qinwen Zheng and now leads the WTA Tour in one area after latest win in Wuhan

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Coco Gauff produced her best performance since the French Open final to demolish her first opponent in Wuhan on Wednesday.

Gauff, known for her grit and fighting spirit, comfortably dispatched Moyuka Uchijima in China, winning the contest 6-1, 6-0.

After struggling for form in recent months, this performance was indicative of Gauff’s recent progression and revitalisation as a player.

The American struggled mightily on serve during the North American hard-court swing, but appears to have found her footing after hiring biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan.

Gauff always seems to perform well in China regardless of form, and her latest win has seen her surpass China’s most prominent star: Qinwen Zheng.

Coco Gauff has won 18 matches in China in the last three years

Despite her young age, Coco Gauff continues to break new ground at a remarkable rate.

As per OptaAce, Coco Gauff is the player with the most wins in WTA main draws on Chinese soil in the last three years, having won 18 matches.

Chinese Olympic gold medallist is in second place, having won 17 matches in China across the same span.

Gauff will have the opportunity to extend her lead over Zheng, as the Chinese player is not competing in the Wuhan Open due to ongoing issues with her right elbow.

The American will face another Chinese player in the Wuhan Open round of 16: Shuai Zhang.

Gauff has won all three of her contests against Zhang, dating back to 2022.

Gauff served no double faults against Uchijima

Gauff’s serving performance against Uchijima was perhaps her best since working with Gavin MacMillan.

The American has clearly worked on her serve after struggling during the North American hard-court swing.

As per Sofascore, Gauff served no double faults against her Japanese opponent, made 85 per cent of her first serves, and won 89 per cent of those points.

Gauff also did not face a single break-point on her serve.

If the 21-year-old can maintain this rich vein of form during the Wuhan Open, she will take some stopping.