Coco Gauff outlasts Qinwen Zheng in instant classic at the WTA Finals

Coco Gauff came out red hot in the final of the 2024 WTA Finals. She challenged Qinwen Zheng to keep holding serve while Gauff won her first service game at love. Zheng continued to battle throughout most of the first set to hold serve, and yet she was never broken. The hope for her was that Gauff would not keep playing at such a high level.

Instead, as the set grew old, Gauff did not drop her form very much, but Zheng was able to raise hers. Both players hit wicked cross-court forehands, and neither was beating themselves with poor serves, but the Chinese began to do something surprising: Attack the American's fantastic backhand.

Normally, opponents tend to stay away from that wing of Gauff's. She has the ability to hit with pace and placement that keeps opponents deep on their side of the court and playing defensively. Zheng had enough confidence in her own forehand that she kept Gauff off-balance and punching back with her backhand instead of swinging freely.

Qinwen Zheng defeats Coco Gauff to win the 2024 WTA Finals

Neither player had won the WTA Finals before. Both are also young enough to challenge for the titles in future WTA Finals for most of the next decade. Zheng is only 22 years old, while Gauff is still only 20. They had only played once before, with Gauff winning on Rome clay in straight sets, but tennis fans might need to get used to many future matches.

Zheng had, by far, her best season on the WTA tour this year. She made her first final at a Grand Slam and her first Masters 1000 final. She also won the Paris Olympics for China. Gauff has won a major already (2023 US Open) and will probably make runs at many more. Plus, after changing coaches late in the summer, Gauff began to regain her 2023 form.

Aryna Sabalenka will finish the year at No. 1, and Iga Swiatek will be No. 2. The two best players at the end of the year, however, were likely Gauff and Zheng, which made the final in Riyadh even more fitting. The match was not perfect - each player had far more unforced errors than winners - but that had more to do with the pressure being put on them by their opponent.

Zheng got an early break of Gauff in the second set as well and looked well on her way to a straight set victory. Putting Gauff away is never easy, however. Her defense keeps her in matches most players would not be in. She was able to get multiple breaks of Zheng to take the second set to even the match.

To begin the third set, Zheng got a break of Gauff in the first game. She simply needed to hold serve for the rest of the set to take the match and the title. She couldn't. Gauff rattled off eight straight points, including a break. At 3-all, though, Zheng got another break. That wasn't enough. Gauff kept breaking back and then she dominated the tie-break 7-2 to get the victory. It might have been the first of many WTA Finals titles for the American.

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