New Delhi: American Coco Gauff became the youngest player to win the WTA Finals in 20 years as she beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) in a gritty three-hour and four-minute affair in Riyadh on Saturday. The 20-year-old rallied back from 3-6, 1-3 down, and finally stormed to a 6-0 lead in the final set tiebreak before easing to victory. Gauff capitalised on Zheng’s errors very well after the Chinese took a 2-0 lead and gradually turned the tides in her favour.
China’s Zheng, seeded seventh and making her WTA Finals debut, won the first set within an hour. She missed the opportunity when serving for the match at 5-4 as she made four unforced errors allowing Gauff to break back. Zheng saved all five break points she faced to keep Gauff at bay but couldn’t take the title home.
After the win, Gauff said that this win meant a lot to her as the event was taking place for the first time in Saudi Arabia and this will forever be etched in history. Adding further she said, “I was just telling myself, ‘it’s another point, another chance’. I’ve been in situations like this in the past and have been able to turn it around … and was able to do it again today.”
لحظات تحفر بالذاكرة ❤️🔥✨#نهائيات_WTA_الرياض
Moments like this, stay forever✨❤️🔥#WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/ACk2wbY372
— WTA FINALS RIYADH (@WTAFinalsRiyadh) November 9, 2024
By clinching the trophy, Gauff earned a record-breaking $4,805,000 which is the largest prize ever awarded at a professional, sanctioned tour event.
On her path to the title, Gauff defeated the world’s top two players Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek and secured her fourth win over a top-eight opponent that week with a strong physical display against Zheng in the final.
A Memorable year for Zheng
Left it all out on the court today 💪
Zheng Qinwen finishes off a successful season with an impressive week in Riyadh. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/yURr1cDHMd
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 9, 2024
Though Zheng’s season ended in a hard-fought defeat, 2024 has been a standout year for the 22-year-old. After reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January where she fell to Aryna Sabalenka then Zheng made history in the summer by claiming China’s first Olympic gold medal in singles tennis in Paris.
Zheng’s remarkable year continued with a successful title defense at the Palermo Ladies Open and a win at the Pan Pacific Open which earned her a debut spot at the WTA Finals. She even became the youngest debut finalist since Petra Kvitova in 2011 and is set to start 2025 ranked in the top five.
Reflecting on her close loss Zheng said, “It hurts to lose this match of course, but I think it’s better I forget it and move on for my next steps.”
Youngest player
In the youngest WTA Finals showdown since Maria Sharapova’s 2004 victory over Serena Williams, 20-year-old Coco Gauff and 22-year-old Zheng Qinwen showcased their best tennis from the outset. Gauff even became the youngest finalist at the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004 and the first American to achieve the feat after Serena Williams back in 2001 while Zheng became the second Chinese player to reach the WTA Finals decider after Li Na in 2013.
another feat added to her roster 📜@CocoGauff | @MariaSharapova | #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/JrwVMx7NQT
— wta (@WTA) November 9, 2024
Gauff even became the first player in 18 years to defeat both the world number one and world number two in the same tournament since Russian Sharapova at the 2006 U.S. Open. The victory marked Gauff’s third title in a season where she didn’t reach a Grand Slam singles final. Her strongest Grand Slam performances were at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, where she reached the semi-finals.
Gauff exited in the fourth round at both Wimbledon and the US Open, where she had been defending her breakthrough major title from 2023 but she ended the year on a high note as she ended saying, “It’s been a long season” with the gleaming silver trophy in her hand.
Coco Gauff claims her first WTA Finals title, a triumphant comeback after mid-year setbacks with serve issues and a coaching overhaul reshaped her season. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
