Downsides are only start ups for Coco Gauff.
Today, a spirited Gauff rode an unrelenting comeback charge to the WTA Finals championship.
In a frenetic final, Gauff broke when Zheng Qinwen served for the title at 5-4 storming to a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) triumph in the Riyadh final.
“I want to congratulate Qinwen on an amazing match and tournament,” Gauff said. “You’ve had a stellar season. Winning the gold medal and all the finals and hopefully we can play many more finals together…It’s fun competition.”
Rallying from a set and a 1-3 deficit, a gritty Gauff roared back from a break down twice in the decider then sped to a 6-0 lead in the tiebreaker.
Gauff converted her fifth championship point to close a physical three hour, four-minute triumph and complete one of the most memorable rallies of her career.
At 20 years, 241 days old, Gauff is the youngest woman to win the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova (17 years, 210 days) in 2004.
It’s a monumental comeback of speed, spirit and mental strength from Gauff, who improved to 9-1 in WTA Finals.
Gauff collected a record WTA champion’s check of $4.805 million—the largest payday in Tour history—and made more history as the first woman in Open Era to post an 8-0 record in her first eight hard-court finals.
The 2023 US Open champion’s resounding recovery completes an outstanding week that saw her beat No. 2 Iga Swiatek in round-robin play then topple world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. Gauff is the seventh woman in the last 40 years to defeat world No.1 and No. 2 at the WTA Finals.
It’s a painful conclusion for Zheng, who was outplayed for the first half of the first set and put herself in position to win both the second and third sets.
The 22-year-old Zheng was up a set and 3-1 then led 5-3 in the decider, but Gauff refused to yield as the Australian Open finalist’s quest to become the first Asian champion in WTA Finals history came up slightly short.
“I want to say thanks to everyone who comes tonight to enjoy this tennis match,” said Zheng, who earned a runner-up check of $2.305 million. “Thanks to Saudi Tennis Federation for creating such a great tournament.”
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