Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter from Miami, and I’m super excited to share some amazing news from the world of tennis. Coco Gauff has just made history by winning the WTA Finals in an epic battle against Zheng Qinwen in Saudi Arabia.
In an enthralling encounter that lasted just over three hours, Gauff showed supreme determination to come back from a set and a break down to win 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2). At 20 years old, she is the youngest player to win the tournament since Maria Sharapova exactly two decades ago and the youngest American since Serena Williams in 2001.
“That was a great match, I was just trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up,” Gauff told Sky Sports. “Sometimes you can think [you’re not going to win] but I just pushed that thought away. I was telling myself, ‘another point, another chance’. I’ve been in situations like this in the past where I’ve been able to turn it around and I just hoped I could do it again today.”
Gauff’s journey to this victory was nothing short of remarkable. She had seen off both the world number one and two in Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route to the final and piled pressure on her opponent from the early stages against Zheng. Despite being forced to save four break points, including three in a captivating fifth game, Gauff’s determination never wavered.
The match was filled with thrilling moments as both players battled hard for every point. Gauff’s fine play at the net was rewarded as she broke back multiple times to keep herself in contention. The decisive moment came when she dominated the tie-breaker, dropping to the floor as her forehand at the net dropped into space.
Victory marks her third title of a year where she did not reach a singles Grand Slam final, with her best runs coming at the Australian Open and on the Roland Garros clay when she was eliminated in the semi-finals. Fourth-round exits followed at Wimbledon and in New York, where she had been defending her maiden major title from 2023.
Zheng Qinwen also had an incredible year despite losing this final. She reached her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January and went on to win China’s first Olympic singles tennis gold medal in Paris this summer. Additionally, she successfully defended her title at the Palermo Ladies Open and won the Pan Pacific Open, securing her place at the WTA Finals for the first time in her career.
Earlier on Saturday, second seeds Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski won the doubles title in Riyadh. The New Zealand-Canadian pair beat American Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 7-5 6-3, avenging their loss in the Wimbledon final.
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