On the surface, you’d think it was a dominant performance from the 2023 U.S. Open champion, and that she capped off a triumphant year with a cherry on top.
Instead, it was quite the opposite. Gauff endured a rocky 2024 season that nearly ended in heartbreak Saturday when she lost the first set and was a down a break in the second against Zheng Qinwen. The writing was on the wall for Gauff to throw in the towel. But midway through the second set, a renewed sense of confidence came over her as she moved a few inches behind the baseline and began firing groundstrokes she hesitated to in the early goings. The last-ditch ploy could have backfired due to Zheng’s strong service game, but it paid off as Gauff broke the Chinese star in three consecutive games to force a deciding third set.
In the final set, Gauff reverted to some of her bad habits as Zheng seized control with an early break. While Gauff did well to win back a break, Zheng would win three consecutive games while dropping just four points. The Chinese star was in cruise control. Once again, Gauff showed supreme confidence to go on a three-game run of her own to storm back into the match.
Ultimately, it was only fitting that the two young warriors headed into a tie-break, which Gauff utterly dominated to seal her win in Riyadh. In a thrilling match that lasted over three hours, Gauff prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) to capture her first WTA Finals title.
There were several instances on Saturday when Gauff did not resemble the young prodigy who put the tennis world on notice in 2023. In fact, through most of 2024 — which saw her suffer early exits at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Paris Olympics — Gauff did not look like the player who many predicted would succeed Serena Williams as the face of American tennis. However, the 20-year-old showed tremendous character in remaining afloat through trying times against Zheng.
Gauff herself acknowledged that the WTA Finals win erased the chatter of her “bad season.”
The American walks with $4.8 million in prize money with the win — the largest purse at any WTA event in history.
