Coco Gauff Claims WTA Finals Title in Epic Comeback, Earns Record $4.8 Million

Posted : 11 November 2024

Coco Gauff made history on Saturday by becoming the youngest player in 20 years to win the WTA Finals title with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in Riyadh.

The 20-year-old American staged an impressive comeback, rallying from a 3-6, 1-3 deficit, and later overcoming a one-break deficit twice in the final set to clinch the win after three hours and four minutes. The victory marked the second-longest WTA final of 2024, showcasing Gauff’s resilience and mental strength under pressure.

With her victory, Gauff earned a record $4.8 million, marking the largest-ever payout at a professional, sanctioned tour event. Along the way, she defeated the world’s top two players, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, securing her fourth top-eight win of the week.

Gauff’s dominant performance throughout the tournament earned her the well-deserved title, with her physicality and determination on full display, especially in the final against the seventh-seeded Zheng.

Zheng, who had a breakthrough year in 2024, finished the campaign by reaching the WTA Finals singles championship match. She became only the second Asian woman, after Li Na in 2013, to achieve this feat. The 22-year-old Chinese player will rise to a career-high No. 5 in the world rankings after winning 31 of her last 37 matches.

The final also marked the youngest championship match at the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova’s victory over Serena Williams in 2004, and both players brought their best form to the court from the start.

The match began with powerful groundstrokes from both players, with Zheng facing early pressure on serve but holding strong. Despite saving multiple break points, Zheng took the first set in 55 minutes after Gauff double-faulted at a critical moment.

Zheng continued her strong play in the second set, taking a 2-0 lead before Gauff mounted a comeback to win the next four games. However, Zheng forced a break back to keep the set alive, but Gauff ultimately secured it to send the match into a deciding third set.

In the final set, Gauff dropped her serve early but responded with remarkable resilience, leveling the score at 2-2 after a stunning stretch volley. Zheng surged ahead again, reaching 5-3, but Gauff refused to give up, saving two championship points on Zheng's serve and taking the match to a tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Gauff was flawless, racing to a 6-0 lead before closing out the match on her fifth championship point. Meanwhile, in the doubles competition, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe secured the title, defeating Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 6-3, and splitting a $1.125 million prize.

Coco Gauff Claims WTA Finals Title in Epic Comeback, Earns Record $4.8 Million

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