Coco Gauff, currently ranked World No. 3, delivered a strong performance in the semifinals of the WTA Finals held in Riyadh, securing a victory against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 7-6(4), 6-3 to advance to the championship match. At just 20 years old, Gauff's win marks a significant achievement as she handed Sabalenka her second consecutive defeat in this tournament. With this victory, Gauff makes history by becoming only the third player since 2010 to defeat both the World No. 1 and No. 2 players at the WTA Finals.
With this victory, Gauff became the youngest player to reach the WTA Finals championship match since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. She is now poised to achieve a remarkable milestone by aiming to be the youngest-ever WTA Finals champion, a title previously held by Maria Sharapova in 2004.
Despite facing tough competition from the Belarusian earlier this season, including semifinal losses at the Australian Open and Wuhan Open, Gauff approached the finals in Riyadh with a strong sense of confidence. Her performance in Wuhan, where she pushed Sabalenka to three sets, served as a motivating factor.
The Tale of the Fixture
Gauff dominated the match from the start, decisively breaking the deadlock at 4-4 with a powerful serving strategy and unyielding baseline play. Throughout the encounter, Gauff consistently applied pressure, creating six break points compared to Sabalenka’s three.
In the opening set, Gauff outperformed Sabalenka in terms of winners, delivering 11 compared to Sabalenka’s six. Meanwhile, Sabalenka faltered under pressure, tallying an uncharacteristic 18 forehand unforced errors. Although the opening set was closely contested with both players breaking serve twice, Gauff's composed and relentless play secured her the advantage when it truly counted.
Despite the outcome of the match, Sabalenka's outstanding season will conclude with her holding the World No. 1 position.
Gauff to face Olympic Champion in the Finals
Gauff has earned a well-deserved spot in the final, where she will face Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. Zheng secured her place in the championship match with a hard-fought victory over Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first semifinal.