Coco Gauff enjoyed a dream end to a bitterly disappointing summer as the American youngster lifted her first WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh.
Gauff, 20, showed immense composure against China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 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).
Gauff become the youngest player to win the WTA Finals in 20 years and the first American champion since Serena Williams a decade ago.
Gauff stormed to a 6-0 lead in the final set tiebreak before easing to victory, falling to the court in celebration as she clinched the year-end world number three ranking for the second straight time.
It was the longest showpiece match at the WTA Finals since 2008 when times were first recorded.
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.
Gauff's year had started on the right note as she won in Auckland and reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open. But the season began to unravel with a fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon and third-round exit at the Paris Olympics.
She was unable to get back on track for her US Open title defence after early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati. In New York, she suffered a dreadful fourth-round defeat to Emma Navarro, which included 19 double faults.
Gauff then split from coach Brad Gilbert and turned things around soon, winning her second WTA 1000 title last month at the China Open before reaching the Wuhan Open semis.
In Saudi Arabia for the season finale, Gauff looked well and truly back as she beat 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.
"Safe to say I beat the bad season allegations," Gauff wrote in a post on X after lifting the title.
"I know (I) tend to focus on 'doubters/haters' but this one is really for all of my supporters! Ya’ll held it down for me win or lose!" Gauff added in her post.
"I know some of you are a little bit petty like me so it does feel nice to silence them for a bit."
Gauff echoed similar sentiments in her post-match presser, taking another swipe at observers who wrote her off.
“I just love to say I’m right. Specifically today, I got comments about how I was going to lose badly, so I was just like, 'OK, we’ll see,'" Gauff explained. "It’s honestly just liking the idea of just proving people wrong and, and letting your racquet do the talking. And so, yeah, I use it as motivation.”
Zheng was just the second Asian woman, behind Li Na in 2013, to reach the singles championship match at a WTA Finals.
The Chinese star concluded up her breakthrough 2024 campaign having won 31 of her last 37 matches. She will rise to a career-high number five in the world on Monday.
"The match today came down to just a couple of important points. It was very close. And at the end, when you play these type of matches, it's not about tennis, it's about choices on court," said Zheng.
"It hurts to lose this match of course but I think it's better I forget it and move on for my next steps."
Gauff came from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set and was two points from defeat at one stage.
Yet she took the set to a tiebreaker and won the first six points. Zheng threatened a comeback but Gauff took the victory off her third match point with a forehand winner as she came into the net.
