American tennis prodigy Coco Gauff capped off her season with an unforgettable victory, rallying to defeat China’s Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) and claim the WTA Finals title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At just 20 years old, Gauff became the youngest champion of this prestigious tournament since Maria Sharapova in 2004, adding yet another milestone to her impressive year.
Gauff’s win also earned her a record-setting $4.8 million prize, the largest in WTA history. Her path to victory included remarkable wins against top-ranked players; she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling semifinal and took down world No. 2 Iga Świątek during the group stage. According to Opta, this feat made Gauff the youngest player to beat the world’s top two players at the WTA Finals since Kim Clijsters in 2002.
The final also made history as Gauff and 22-year-old Zheng were the youngest pair in a WTA Finals title match since 2004, when a 17-year-old Sharapova faced Serena Williams. Gauff expressed her pride in being part of such a historic matchup, noting how meaningful it was for her to be involved in a record-breaking event.