Coco Gauff has continued her remarkable end to the 2024 season with a huge victory over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, setting up a WTA Finals title showdown against Zheng Qinwen. With both players reaching the season-ending final for the first time, we will see a new champion in the tournament's history.
Coco Gauff began the season strongly with a title in Auckland and a semifinal run at the Australian Openn. She endured a dip in form towards the end of the grass season but suffered the most during the North American hardcourt stretch, a period she excelled in last year. Gauff's title defense in Cincinnati ended in the second round while she exited the US Open in the fourth round.
Gauff's resurgence started in Beijing, where she claimed her second WTA 1000 title with a stellar win over Karolina Muchova in the final. She followed this up with a run to the semifinals of the Wuhan Open.
The 20-year-old has looked in impressive knick so far in Riyadh this week, apart from a minor hiccup against Barbora Krejcikova. She secured a notable victory over Iga Swiatek in the group stage and capitalized on a wayward Sabalenka in the semifinals, defeating the Australian and US Open champion 7-6 (4), 6-3. Gauff, who has won 12 of her last 14 matches since the US Open, looks primed for the crown given her rich vein of form off late.
Zheng Qinwen, meanwhile, has enjoyed a breakout season, reaching her first Grand Slam final, breaking into the world’s top 8, and capturing Olympic gold. Her rise began with a run to the Australian Open final at the start of the year, where she lost to Sabalenka.
After a quiet period on clay and grass, Zheng made headlines at the Paris Olympics, stunning the field—including a victory over top-ranked Swiatek—to claim the gold. She also successfully defended her title in Palermo. Her Asian hardcourt swing has been remarkable, boasting a 16-3 record and a maiden WTA 1000 final appearance at home in Wuhan.
Zheng faced early challenges in Riyadh, but found her rhythm soon enough, dominating her final group stage match and carrying that momentum into the semifinals, where she brushed aside Wimbledon champion Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5 to book her spot in her first WTA Finals showdown.
Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen met once earlier this year in Rome, with the American claiming victory in straight sets. With both players in top form, their upcoming clash promises high stakes, excitement, and plenty of fireworks.
With plenty on the line for the pair, here's all you need to know about the much-anticipated summit clash at the 2024 WTA Finals.
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen Match Schedule
Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen will square off in the second match on Saturday following the women's doubles final.
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Time: Not before 8:30 p.m. local time, 12:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. GMT, & 11:00 p.m. IST
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen Streaming Details
Viewers can catch live action from the WTA Final 2024 on the following channels and sites:
United States - Tennis Channel
UK - Sky Sports
Canada - DAZN
Australia - beIN Sports
India - Tennis Channel
France - BEIN Sports
Spain - Tennis Channel, TV3, & TVE
Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein - Sky Sports
Netherlands - Ziggo Sport
Denmark - TV2
Greece & Cyprus - NOVA Sports
Romania - Digisport
Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia - CANAL+
Portugal - Eleven Sports
Belgium - Play Sports & TELENET
Hungary - Network 4 & Match 4
Turkey - beIn Digiturk
Israel - Charlton
New Zealand - TVNZ
China - YOUKU
Japan - DAZN
South Korea - CJ ENM
Hong Kong - NOW TV