A statement of intent was made in Riyadh as Coco Gauff took down world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals to reach her biggest final since September 2023.
The 20-year-old is still yet to drop a set throughout the week, claiming a hard-fought 7-6(4) 6-3 victory.
"I'm happy with the way I played," Gauff admitted in her on-court interview. "I know coming up against Aryna, it's always going to be a tough match, so I just tried to stay in it and she's world No.1 for a reason."
It was a topsy-turvy second set, including the sixth game when Gauff fended off seven break points before finally being broken in a mammoth 12-minute game.
Serving to stay in the match at 3-5, the pressure and the occasion got to Sabalenka as she succumbed to her fifth loss against the American.
"A break in tennis means nothing, to be honest," confessed Gauff. "People think too much about it, so I just knew I needed to win a game to stay in the set and I was lucky that I broke on that game (to win the match)."
Gauff will participate in her biggest final since winning the US Open on home soil last year when she takes on Olympic gold medalist and Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng in tomorrow's decider.
"She's playing great tennis," Gauff said when referring to Zheng. "Just playing confident tennis will help me have the best shot at winning.
"I'm not really nervous, to be honest. [This tournament] I consider it as a plus, and being here is a reward for the season that I had."
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