WTA Finals: Coco Gauff takes advantage of Aryna Sabalenka's off day, set to face Zheng for the title

Coco Gauff delivered a stunning performance to eliminate World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and advance to her first WTA Finals championship match. The American showed remarkable composure, especially on her serve, and capitalized on an off day for the Belarusian, closing out the match in straight sets, 7-6(4), 6-3.

In her previous two WTA Finals appearances, Gauff had fallen short in the Round Robin stage in 2022 after three consecutive losses, and in 2023 she reached the semifinals before losing to Jessica Pegula. Now, the 20-year-old has secured her spot as World No. 3 to end the season, regardless of the final outcome on Saturday, where she will face the impressive Zheng Qinwen.

Gauff makes the most of Sabalenka’s rough day

The match began with both players displaying some inconsistency, trading breaks in the third and fourth games. Although they each faced multiple break points in the first half of the set, they found their rhythm in the second half, with few issues holding serve.

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Sabalenka raised her game under pressure, breaking in the 11th game, but it wasn’t enough as Gauff fought back to force a tiebreak. Gauff raced to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak, and while Sabalenka managed to save three set points, she ultimately faltered with a forehand error on an open court, conceding the set to Gauff 7-6(4) after more than an hour of play.

The World No. 1 took a toilet break while Gauff stayed on court, practicing her serve. On her return, Sabalenka struggled to find her precision, and Gauff quickly secured a break in the third game to take control.

Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals in Riyadh

In the second set, Sabalenka played more conservatively, which Gauff took full advantage of. The American won an impressive 88% of her first serves compared to Sabalenka’s 45%, and her opponent struggled to find her footing as her morale declined, while Gauff remained focused throughout.

The three-time Grand Slam champion started the second set with a strong service game, but this proved to be a brief spark. Gauff surged ahead, winning 11 of the next 12 points, earning two consecutive breaks to lead 4-1.

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It seemed like everything was lost for the recent US Open champion. However, in a show of courage, she fought to close the gap and, in the longest game of the match, recovered one of the breaks after 20 points and up to 8 break opportunities. Still, the momentum wasn’t enough. Gauff quickly broke back and had the chance to serve for the win but couldn’t close it out. Nonetheless, a final break in the 9th game was enough to secure the victory 7-6(4), 6-3.

Saturday’s final will feature the two youngest players in the WTA Finals, with Gauff (20) facing Zheng (22). The Chinese player has had an outstanding season finish and will surely be pleased with Sabalenka’s elimination, as she has a 0-5 head-to-head record against the Belarusian.