Coco Gauff wins WTA Finals for the first time by rallying to beat Zheng Qinwen

By The Associated Press on November 9, 2024.

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates a point against China's Qinwen Zheng during their women's singles final match of the WTA finals at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals for the first time by rallying to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final on Saturday.

The 20-year-old American came from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set and was two points from defeat at one stage.

Yet she took the set to a tiebreaker and won the first six points. Zheng threatened a comeback but Gauff took the victory off her third match point with a forehand winner as she came into the net.

Gauff beat the world’s top two players – Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek – on her run to the final at the season-ending event in Riyadh.

Zheng was looking to complete a season in which she reached a grand slam final for the first time at the Australian Open and delivered China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold medal.

In the doubles final, Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand beat Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the United States 7-5, 6-3.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis