Coco Gauff stuns world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach the WTA Finals Championship Match

On November 9, 2024By Littum

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – NOVEMBER 5: Coco Gauff of the United States reacts to convert match point … (+) against Iga Swiatek of Poland in her second round robin match on Day 4 of the WTA Finals Riyadh as part of the Hologic WTA Tour 2024 at the King Saud University Indoor Arena on November 5, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Photo by Robert Prange/ )

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Coco Gauff is on her way to the WTA Finals championship match.

The world No. 3 used her speed and defense to beat No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 7-6(4), 6-3, in the semifinals on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Gauff, who reached the semifinals the previous two years, will face No. 7 Qinwen Zheng, who beat Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5. Gauff is 20, Zheng 22.

The winner takes home $2.5 million, and the runner-up $1.27 million.

“I’m happy with the way I played,” Gauff said on the Tennis Channel. “I know she’s always going to be a tough match against Aryna, so I just tried to stay in it. She is world no. 1 for a reason and I’m just happy with how I played today.”

Gauff improved to 5-4 against Sabalenka, ending a two-match losing streak including the Wuhan semifinals and the Australian Open semifinals. Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open and US Open titles, ends the year at no. 1.

Gauff took the first set on her fourth set point after Sabalenka served for it. Sabalenka served at 4-6 in the breaker and hit a forehand wide to give Gauff the set.

The American then broke early in the second set for a 2-1 lead and then went up a double-break for 4-1. Sabalenka got a break back to 2-4.

But Gauff responded by breaking to love for 5-2 and then served for the match. She was broken and Sabalenka served at 3-5.

Gauff won it when Sabalenka drilled a backhand into the net on match point.

“A break in tennis means nothing,” Gauff said. “People think too much about it, so I just had to win a match to stay in the set. And yes, I was lucky I broke in that match.”

Gauff caused some controversy among fans when she lost to Krejcikova in her final group stage match after beating world no. 2 Iga Swiatek and the American Jessica Pegula.

The loss eliminated Swiatek and some fans felt Gauff lost on purpose.

“Coco did it on purpose. Her joy at the end of the match… she’s so pathetic,” one fan tweeted.

“Coco Gauff wants to lose just so she doesn’t have to face iga again. What a loser,” one fan wrote X.

For now, Gauff is in the final and can win the second biggest title of his career after winning the US Open in 2023.

“(Zheng) is playing great tennis,” Gauff said. “Just playing confident tennis will help me and give me the best chance to win.

“I’m not really nervous, to be honest. At the end of the year I always look at it as a plus and even when I’m here I look at it as a reward for the season I had.”