Coco Gauff wins the WTA Finals in Riyadh

As the saying goes: It all starts in Linz! This applies more than ever to the career of tennis world star Coco Gauff. The 20-year-old won her first WTA tournament in Linz in 2019 and has now celebrated her biggest success on the WTA Tour to date. At the WTA Finals, the unofficial tennis world championship, which was held for the first time in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, she beat Chinese Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 (2) in the final. In the semi-finals, Gauff had held her own against Aryna Sabalenka in a duel between the former Linz champions. The Belarusian won the tournament in Linz in 2020 and is now ranked number one in the world for the first time at the end of the year.

Gauff's triumph in Saudi Arabia made her the youngest winner of the finals since Maria Sharapova, who won the tournament in 2004 at the age of just 17. Gauff also secured the biggest prize money ever in women's tennis. Her victory in Riyadh earned her prize money totalling 4.5 million euros. She also joins a list of prominent players: Gauff is only the fourth American woman to win the WTA Finals before the age of 21, following in the footsteps of Chris Evert (1972, 1973, 1975), Tracy Austin (1980) and Serena Williams (2001).

Gauff won her first of nine WTA titles in the city on the Danube five years ago. Back then, the US American beat Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in three sets in the final of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz 2019 and was celebrated by the fans in the TipsArena. Ostapenko made up for her missed triumph this year and was crowned the winner of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz 2024.

"Of course, it makes us incredibly proud that Coco has secured this prestigious title. She certainly didn't have an easy season, but she has improved enormously in recent weeks and showed tremendous strength of will and nerves in the final. This match was an absolute advert for women's tennis. Even when she won her first tournament here at the age of 15, I was sure that this would be the start of a great career," said Tournament Director Sandra Reichel about the American's development and triumph, adding: "She is an absolute role model for young women, not only on and off the court. Of course, our congratulations also go to Aryna Sabalenka, who has won two Grand Slam titles this year and is ranked number one in the world for the first time at the end of the year."