Coco Gauff made history by becoming the youngest player in 20 years to win the WTA Finals, after overcoming Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in a thrilling season-ending showdown.
In a match that had it all, Gauff, who was just two points away from defeat, staged a remarkable comeback to clinch a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) victory. The intense clash, widely regarded as one of the best of the year, saw Gauff show immense resilience and mental fortitude to edge past Zheng and secure the prestigious title.
Gauff expressed her gratitude after the win: “Firstly I want to congratulate Qinwen on a sensational season and your team too who are very nice, it’s been a great competition. I want to thank the Saudi federation for putting on a great tournament. It’s my first time in Saudi Arabia, and I’ve had more fun than I imagined, and thanks for coming to watch a women’s tennis competition. I want to thank everyone who put this together, and my team. It’s been a long season, but I want to say thank you, it’s been so much fun, and my family, and the man above for allowing me to be here.” An extremely eloquent 20-year-old!
Zheng also shared her appreciation: “I want to say thanks to everyone for coming tonight, thanks to the Saudi federation for a great tournament and all the staff who are working here, and thanks to my team who try to keep me healthy. Lastly, I want to say congratulations to the Champion, I think you have a great future.”
Gauff's resilience
Despite Zheng gaining momentum in the tiebreak, Gauff held her nerve, racing to a 6-0 lead. Zheng responded with a powerful serve to claim a point, followed by another after Gauff hit long, but she couldn’t stop the inevitable. Soon, Gauff was celebrating on the court, rolling with joy before shaking hands with Zheng. She then bounced in elation—becoming the first American champion in ten years since Serena Williams, and the youngest in 20 years.
Gauff’s victory marked the first time since Serena Williams' 2014 win that an American has triumphed at the WTA Finals, and she became the youngest champion since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
At 20 years old, Gauff fought back from a 2-0 and 5-3 deficit in the final set, and was two points away from defeat at one point. Her win in Riyadh also set a new record for the longest final at the WTA Finals since the tournament began tracking statistics in 2008.
For her efforts, Gauff earned a remarkable $4,805,000—making it the largest payout ever at a Hologic WTA Tour event. This victory also ensures her place as the World No. 3 to close out the season for the second year in a row, further cementing her status as one of tennis' brightest stars.
Gauff’s Impressive Late-Season Performance
After a Round-of-16 loss during her US Open title defense, Gauff has made an incredible resurgence, winning 12 of her last 14 matches this year. Her dominance on hard courts is particularly striking, as she became the first woman in the Open Era to win her first seven tour-level hard-court finals. With this latest win, she extends her unbeaten record in hard-court finals to 8-0, improving her overall tour-level final record to 9-1.
A Historic Win
Gauff’s victory over Zheng was historic, with the 20-year-old American and 22-year-old Zheng combining for the youngest final pairing at the WTA Finals since 2004, when Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams.
