Coco Gauff wins biggest title of year at WTA Finals with stunning comeback against Zheng Qinwen
Coco Gauff has the honor of taking home the last major title of the 2024 season, winning the WTA Finals. Taking on Zheng Qinwen in the final on Sunday, the American prevailed in three sets to mark her maiden title at the year-end championships.
Gauff, the No. 3 seed, lost the opening set 6-3 and was down a break to start the second. With the door nearly closed on her title chances, the 20-year-old roared into form as the match progressed. An incredible comeback charge saw the former US Open champ win the second set 6-4 and force a decider.
With all to play for in the final set, Gauff and Zheng matched each other shot for shot, taking it to 5-5. After the American held her final service game, her opponent had only two options - hold serve and force a tiebreaker or lose serve and go out as the runner-up.
Zheng didn't start off as strongly as she would have liked, going 40-15 behind. However, two incredible championship points from the reigning Olympic champ brought the score to deuce, after which she used the momentum to bring about a final set tiebreaker.
There, it was Coco Gauff who showed her nerves of steel, going up 3-0 before wrapping up proceedings 7-2 in a scintillating display to lift the trophy under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
Coco Gauff's road to glory at WTA Finals 2024
In the group stage at the 2024 WTA Finals, Coco Gauff went 2-1. She earned wins over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and compatriot Jessica Pegula, both in straight sets. However, against reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, she faced a straight-sets loss to finish second in the group.
In the semifinals, she took down World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to reach her first final at the year-end championships. With Sunday's win, Gauff has won two big trophies for the year, the previous one coming at the WTA 1000 China Open.
Overall, the 20-year-old now has won nine singles titles and is 9-1 in WTA Tour finals. Her only loss came to Swiatek at the French Open in 2022. In 2024, Gauff has amassed three trophies, her first one coming at the start of the season in Auckland.