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Coco Gauff fought hard for three hours and four minutes to defeat Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) in the championship match of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the tournament’s debut in the region. At just 20 years old, Gauff, the youngest player in the draw, had an impressive run to secure her first WTA Finals title.
In her first appearance in 2022, Gauff struggled in the group stage, losing all three matches. However, last year, she made significant progress by reaching the semifinals. This year, Gauff showed her perseverance and growth on full display.
The match began with a tightly contested first set where Zheng secured a lone break, saving all five break points she faced. Zheng then carried her momentum into the second set, taking a 2-0 lead. However, Gauff staged a comeback, winning four straight games from 1-3 to go up 5-3. Despite facing challenges when serving for the set and having two set points, Gauff remained composed and converted her third set point in the following game on Zheng’s serve.
Both players fought fiercely in the third set, with Gauff rallying back twice after being broken. Ultimately, it was Gauff who emerged victorious in a thrilling tiebreak to clinch the win.
This victory is a significant milestone for Gauff, who finished the round-robin stage with a 2-1 record, defeating Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek but falling to Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group. In the semifinals, she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka before facing Zheng in the final. With this win, Gauff earned the largest prize money in women’s professional tennis history, totaling $4,805,000.
Gauff’s winning equipment consisted of a New Balance tennis dress, her signature CG2 shoes, and a Head Boom MP racquet.
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