Coco Gauff battled for three hours and four minutes to overcome Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) in the championship match of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the tournament’s debut in the region. At just 20 years old, Gauff, the youngest player in the draw, made an impressive run to secure her first WTA Finals title.
In her debut appearance in 2022, Gauff struggled in the group stage, losing all three matches. However, last year, she made a notable leap, advancing to the semifinals, showing significant progress. This year, Gauff’s perseverance and growth were on full display.
The match started with a tight first set in which Zheng took control with a lone break, saving all five break points she faced. The Chinese then extended her momentum, racing to a 2-0 lead in the second set. However, Gauff mounted a comeback, winning four consecutive games from 1-3 to go up 5-3. Despite dropping serve when serving for the set and having two set points, Gauff held her nerve, converting her third set point in the next game on Zheng’s serve.
The third set saw both players fighting hard, with Gauff coming from behind twice after being broken. In the end, it was the American who prevailed in a dramatic tiebreak to seal the victory.
This triumph is a major milestone for Gauff, who finished the round-robin stage with a 2-1 record, having defeated Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek but losing to Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group. In the semifinals, she took down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka before facing Zheng in the final. With this victory, Gauff claimed the largest prize money check in the history of women’s professional tennis, totaling $4,805,000.
Gauff’s winning gear included a New Balance tennis dress, her signature CG2 shoes, and a Head Boom MP racquet.