(Reuters) — American Coco Gauff had a bitterly disappointing summer but on Saturday the youngster was able to celebrate lifting her first WTA Finals trophy, regaining her confidence after a string of frustrating defeats to end her year on a high note.
The 20-year-old showed her mettle against China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the Riyadh finale, coming back from a set down and holding her nerve through a gritty three-hour and four-minute affair to win 3-6 6-4 7-6(2).
The first WTA Finals title for Gauff was made sweeter after a mid-year derailment when attempts to rebuild her serve led to repeated frustrations on the tour and a coaching shake-up.
“It’s been a long season,” Gauff said with the gleaming silver trophy in her hand in Riyadh, thanking her family and team for sticking with her through the ups and the downs.
Gauff’s year had started on the right track as she won in Auckland and reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open. But the season began to crumble with a fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon and third-round exit at the Paris Games.
She was unable to reset for her U.S. Open title defence after shock early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati and left New York after a dreadful fourth-round defeat by Emma Navarro, when she was plagued by 19 double faults.
Gauff split from coach Brad Gilbert and flipped the script weeks later, however, winning her second WTA 1000 title last month at the China Open before reaching the Wuhan Open semis.
It was clear she had got back to top form in Riyadh as she beat her key antagonist, Poland’s world number two Iga Swiatek, in the group stage and battled past the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to reach the championship match.
The youngest player to win the season-ending WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova two decades ago, Gauff leaves the first professional women’s tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia more than $4.8 million richer and with a WTA title at every level.