Coco Gauff cemented her place in tennis history on Saturday, defeating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh. The 20-year-old American not only claimed her first WTA Finals title but also became the youngest player in two decades to do so, pulling off a remarkable comeback after being down 3-6, 1-3.
In a match that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes — the second-longest WTA final of 2024 — Gauff showed both mental and physical resilience as she erased a one-break deficit twice in the final set. She eventually triumphed in a tense tiebreak, sealing her victory in front of a packed crowd in Saudi Arabia’s first-ever professional women’s tennis event.
“This means a lot to me,” Gauff said after her win. “This is the first professional women’s tennis event here in Saudi Arabia, and I’ll forever be etched in history in that standard.”
The victory was made even sweeter by the size of the prize: Gauff walked away with a record $4.8 million, the largest-ever payout for a professional, sanctioned tennis event. She had previously knocked out the top two players in the world, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, en route to the final, making her triumph against Zheng all the more impressive.
“I don’t know what I’ll do with it, that’s a lot of money,” Gauff said with a laugh when informed of her winnings. “I hope I’m one of the highest-paid female tennis players this year, or athletes in general. So that would be exciting.”
For Zheng Qinwen, the runner-up finish capped an extraordinary breakthrough season. The 22-year-old Chinese star had one of the most successful years of her career, winning 31 of her last 37 matches, and will rise to a career-high No. 5 in the world rankings on Monday. Zheng made history by becoming just the second Asian woman, after Li Na in 2013, to reach the singles final at the WTA Finals.
“The match today came down to just a couple of important points. It was very close,” Zheng reflected. “And at the end, when you play these types of matches, it’s not about tennis, it’s about choices on court. It hurts to lose this match, of course, but I think it’s better I forget it and move on to my next steps.”
The match, which featured two of the brightest young talents in women’s tennis, was a thrilling spectacle from start to finish. Gauff and Zheng, both in their early 20s, contested the youngest WTA Finals final since 2004, when Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams.
Zheng came out strong, saving multiple break points in the opening games and securing an early 5-3 lead. Gauff, who had been playing with confidence throughout the tournament, faltered when she double-faulted on break point, allowing Zheng to serve for the first set. Although Gauff had a chance to break back, Zheng held firm, winning the opening set 6-3 after a netted backhand from the American.
The second set saw Gauff rally, breaking Zheng in the eighth game to level the match at 1-1. Gauff’s resilience came to the fore in the decider, where she clawed her way back from 1-3 down, breaking Zheng’s serve twice before eventually taking the match to a tiebreak. In the final set, Gauff’s mental toughness and accuracy in crucial moments paid off, as she cruised to a 7-2 victory in the tiebreak, clinching her first-ever WTA Finals title.
Gauff’s victory marks the culmination of a stunning season that saw her rise to the top of the tennis world. Having already collected multiple titles in 2024, including her first Grand Slam singles crown, Gauff’s triumph in Riyadh solidifies her status as one of the sport’s rising stars.
With the WTA Finals now in the rearview, Gauff’s attention will likely shift to her continued growth on the court and her pursuit of even bigger titles. For now, however, she can savor this historic victory and the record-breaking payday that comes with it.
“To be etched in history forever, it’s pretty cool,” said Gauff, reflecting on her landmark win in Riyadh. “Hopefully, there are more events here and more titles to come.”
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