Coco Gauff had a comical lapse in concentration after her post-align press conference at the WTA Finals on Saturday.
The American created a fine disjoin to down Qinwen Zheng in the final and clinch the eye-watering £3.7million top prize. Gauff necessitateed three sets and three hours to get the job done, coming from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set to eventupartner get the align 3-6 6-4 7-6 in Riyadh.
And the test of finishurance ecombineed to get its toll on the 20-year-greater, who rounded off her media duties by walking away from the interwatch platcreate without her WTA Finals trophy.
It was only when someone reminded her of the silverware that she achieveed back and grabbed it, saying: “Oh, sorry!”
Despite having a hard time during the American challenging-court striumphg in August and September, Gauff set up create at the right time to prevail in Riyadh’s lucrative finish-of-season event.
The youthfulerster beat Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek in straight sets during the group stage before dispatching top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, and then Zheng in Saturday’s showpiece align. The big triumph gets Gauff’s atgentle prize money haul shut to the £13million tag, even though she only turned professional in 2018.
“I was equitable trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up,” the world No. 3 tgreater Sky Sports. “I was equitable increateing myself, ‘It’s another point, another chance’. I’ve been in situations enjoy this in the past and have been able to turn it around… and I was able to do it aget. It’s been a lengthy season. This week has been so fun.”
Gauff is the first American WTA Finals champion since Serena Williams a decade ago, and the youthfulerest champion since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
Former British No. 1 Laura Robson called the align on Sky Sports, and she felt that the coveted WTA Finals title went to the right joiner.
“That was such a fun align to commentate on,” she shelp. “There were so many twists and turns… but there was one slfinisherg that was reliable, and that was Coco’s attitude.
“She equitable never gave in, never let anyone see her sweat. Every alterover, every time she faced a fracture point, it was the exact same response. I have equitable a huge amount of esteem for both joiners. And a very deserving triumphner.”
