Coco Gauff displayed unwavering tenacity to win the season-ending WTA Finals against Zheng Qinwen after falling behind in a set.
The American defeated the Olympic champion in a thrilling three-hour match in Saudi Arabia, with scores of 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Not only is she the youngest American to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 2001 at the age of 20, but she is also the youngest player to win the competition since Maria Sharapova exactly twenty years ago.
As the third seed, Gauff received a record-breaking $4.8 million (£3.7 million) in prize money for women’s professional tennis. “This means a lot to me,” she remarked.
“This is the first professional women’s tennis event here in Saudi Arabia, and I’ll forever be etched in history by that standard.”
“That was an absolutely fantastic match,” she told Sky Sports earlier. I kept going because I was doing my best to stay strong.
With her run to Saturday’s championship match in Riyadh, Gauff became the youngest player to do so since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010, making history.
To get to the final, she had to overcome world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and she put Zheng under a lot of strain early on.
While Gauff won their first match in straight sets in Rome earlier this year, this was only their second encounter. Zheng, 22, had to save four break points, three of which came in an exciting fifth game.
However, the seventh-seeded Chinese player from China took the lead in the first game thanks to a double fault and a hat trick of unforced errors by Gauff. Zheng went on to seal the set by smashing Gauff’s backhand into the net.
The American went on a three-game winning streak, but it ended when Zheng saved two championship points, forcing a tie-break that Gauff absolutely crushed.
This is her third triumph of the year; she failed to advance past the quarterfinals in any of the singles Grand Slam tournaments she played in; her best performances that year came at the Roland Garros clay court tournament and the Australian Open.
Both Wimbledon and New York, where she had been defending her first major championship since 2023, saw her go out in the fourth round.
Although Gauff had expressed her apprehension about performing in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s human rights record, she expressed her hope for additional concerts after her victory, saying: “Hopefully there’s more events here.”
Despite the disappointing outcome, Zheng’s 2024 season was truly remarkable. In January, she reached her maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by Sabalenka. In the summer, she created history in Paris by becoming China’s first Olympic singles tennis gold medal winner.
Aside from that, Zheng had a fantastic year defending her title at the Palermo Ladies Open and winning the Pan Pacific Open, which put her in the WTA Finals for the first time.
Starting 2025, she will be among the top five players in the world, making her the youngest player to do so since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
“It hurts to lose this match, of course, but I think I should forget it and move on to my next steps,” Zheng remarked.