Coco Gauff’s win in the WTA Finals title match Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was secured through a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Zheng Qinwen in a demanding three-hour battle marked by Gauff’s ability to fight back from deficits in each set. After clinching the title. After clinching the title, Gauff was seen collapsing to the court in exhaustion, later commenting that she was surprised by how tired she was following the match.
“At the end of the match, when I fell on the floor, I didn’t think I was going to do that,” Gauff said, as reported by Steve Tignor of tennis.com. “I kind of made a promise to myself that I will only save that for Grand Slams. But honestly, to the way the match went, I was like, ‘I’m just tired. I just want to lay on the ground.’”
The match played between the WTA’s two youngest finalists — Gauff is 22, Zheng is 20 — was a testament to both players’ endurance. Gauff, who parted ways with coach Brad Gilbert earlier in the year, employed a physically demanding style, grinding through long rallies and comebacks. Zheng, typically an offensive player, matched Gauff’s intensity with powerful strokes but faltered at key moments, including a critical service game at 5-4 in the third set when four unforced errors led to a break for Gauff.
WTA Finals win is Coco Gauff’s second major title
Gauff’s gritty play ultimately sealed her second major title, following her 2023 U.S. Open win, and marked her first significant achievement with her new coach, Matt Daly. Though she’s working to refine her serve and forehand, Gauff leaned into her core strengths—defense, footwork and patience—to win over Zheng.
Reflecting on the victory, Gauff said, “But, you know, I just tried to stay in the moment, honestly, and I’m really proud of myself.”
For Zheng, the loss highlighted the match’s endurance aspect over explosive play.
“This match is very endurance, instead of, you know, explosive tennis,” Zheng said. “Yes, a lot of physical, but I would say sometimes, maybe in this match, I wasn’t that patient.”
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