Coco Gauff explained how she kept her cool despite the helter-skelter nature of her WTA Finals clash with Qinwen Zheng.

Gauff prevailed 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) in Riyadh on Saturday to become the youngest WTA Finals champion since 2004.

She was pushed all the way by Olympic champion Zheng, who led 5-3 at one stage in the decider and also clawed back four matchpoints before Gauff eventually got over the line.

"Tired, it's been a hard season," Gauff told Sky Sports after her victory.

"It was a really great match. Qinwen played some unbelievable tennis. I was just trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up.

"I was just telling myself, 'It's another point, another chance'. I've been in situations like this in the past and have been able to turn it around, and was able to do it again."

Gauff is the first player since Serena Williams (12, between 2013 and 2015) to win at least eight consecutive hard-court finals.

The 20-year-old collapsed on the court after her winning shot, something the American quipped she had mentally reserved for grand slam victories.

"At the end of the match, when I, like, fell on the floor, I didn't think I was going to do that," said Gauff, who has secured the year-end world number three ranking.

"I made a promise to myself that I will save that for grand slams. But honestly, to the way the match went, I was like, 'I'm just tired. I just want to lay on the ground.'

"I know I was like a couple of points away from losing, but, you know, I just tried to stay in the moment, honestly, and I'm really proud of myself."

For Zheng, it was a case of taking the positives from the first WTA Finals showpiece match that had to be settled by a third-set tie-break/

She said: "The match was very close, and then, you know, at the end, when you play this type of match, it's not about tennis, it's just about choices on court.

"When you lose a match, there's lessons you have to learn. So I would say it's a lot of positive things, because it's my first WTA Finals, but at the same time, I feel hurt to lose this match. But we will see. Maybe next time I will be better."

Coco Gauff triumphed over Qinwen Zheng after three sets to become the youngest WTA Finals champion in 20 years.

Having fallen behind in Saturday's final in Riyadh, Gauff bounced back to prevail 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2).

Gauff had squandered two match points when 6-5, 40-15 up in the decider, with Zheng clawing back to force a tie-break.

Yet, the American rediscovered her composure to cruise into a 5-0 lead, and though she saw another two match points fall by the wayside, Gauff got the job done at the fifth time of asking.

A short Zheng return clipped the top of the net, with Gauff scrambling from the baseline to meet it before flicking a forehand to the left of her opponent, with this year's Olympic champion unable to get there.

Gauff, who beat Iga Swiatek in the group stage and downed world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, collapsed to the court in celebration, after winning what was the second-longest WTA Tour-level final of 2024.

Data Debrief: It's a marathon, not a sprint

Zheng made a blistering start, but despite going a break up in the second set, she could not maintain the momentum.

Gauff's wobble in the decider meant the WTA Finals championship match had to be decided by a third-set tie-break for the first time since the tournament's introduction in 1972.

At 20, Gauff is the youngest player to win the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004, and the youngest American champion of the event since Serena Williams in 2001.

Only Nancy Richey and Anna Smashnova (10 each) have won more titles after their first 10 WTA Tour-level finals than Gauff (nine) in the Open Era.

Meanwhile, she is the first player since Williams (12, between the 2013 US Open and 2015 Cincinnati Open) to win at least eight consecutive hard-court finals, and the youngest to do so since Martina Hingis in 1998.

Zheng Qinwen was the first to book her place in the WTA Finals showpiece after downing Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets in Riyadh on Friday. 

Zheng, who has dropped just one set throughout the entire tournament, needed an hour and 40 minutes to emerge a 6-3 7-5 victor against the Wimbledon champion. 

The Olympic gold medallist wasted no time in stamping her authority on the contest, serving a love game straight away before breaking Krejcikova's serve soon after. 

Zheng then missed two set points in the eighth game to take the early advantage, but remained composed, closing out the opener with another love game. 

The world number seven threatened to run away with the contest after powering into a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Krejcikova responded emphatically. 

She would go on to win the next four games, but made a fatal error when serving at 5-5, sending a forehand long which handed Zheng the opportunity to serve for the match. 

After saving a break point, Zheng converted her second match point to book her place in the final, setting up a meeting with either Coco Gauff or Aryna Sabalenka. 

Data Debrief: Age is just a number

With a win-loss record of 52-17 this year, Zheng became the first Chinese player in the Open Era to notch 50 WTA-level victories in a calendar year. 

At 22 years and 31 days, she is also now the youngest player to reach the final in their maiden appearance at the WTA Finals since Petra Kvitova (2011).

Since the event's inauguration in 1972, she is only the second Asian player to reach the final at the WTA Finals after Li Na (2013).

Qinwen Zheng booked her place in the last four of the WTA Finals with a dominant 6-1 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini.

The Olympic gold medallist hit 12 aces as she powered past this season's French Open and Wimbledon finalist in just over an hour in Riyadh.

This was the winner-takes-all clash in Purple Group, with both players aiming to join world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.

The form player since Wimbledon with 29 wins from 34 matches - also including titles in Palermo and Tokyo, plus a run to the final in Wuhan - Zheng quickly asserted her authority on proceedings.

The 22-year-old scored five breaks of serve on the way to becoming the youngest semi-finalist on her WTA Finals debut since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

"Finally, I showed off some tennis I really want to play," she said. "Of course, when you enter the match, you are nervous, but at the same time, you feel confidence because you know your level. And I know how capable I am.

"I remember in 2022, my serve was quite strong. I don't know why but, suddenly in 2023, my serve started to drop. In this tournament and the rest of this half-year, it is the first time I've felt like the serve is starting to come back."

Beating two top-10 players in the same tournament for the first time, Zheng is the first Chinese player to achieve the feat since Li Na (four) at this event 11 years ago.

The seventh seed also follows in the footsteps of Na and Kimiko Date in 1994 as one of three players representing an Asian country to reach the last four at the WTA Finals. 

Sabalenka's place in the semi-finals was already secured, rendering her 6-4 3-6 6-1 defeat by Elena Rybakina academic, though ending a seven-match winning streak.

Having shared the two meetings this season in Brisbane and Madrid, the players took a close set each here, but it was one-way traffic in the decider.

In the final match of her first tournament since withdrawing from the US Open with a back injury, Rybakina did not face a single break point in the final set, while winning all 12 points on her first serve, to bow out with victory.

Though academic, it was an historic victory for the Kazahstani, who became the first player representing an Asian country to defeat the world number one at the WTA Finals.

Rybakina is also the fourth player to achieve six or more wins over the WTA's number one across a two-season span, after Tracy Austin (1979-80), Venus Williams (1999-00) and Lindsay Davenport (2000-01).

Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to book her place in the WTA Finals semi-finals after her straight-sets win over Jasmine Paolini on Monday.

The Belarusian had to dig deep in the second set but prevailed in 91 minutes, beating the Italian 6-3 7-5 in Riyadh to secure top spot in the Purple Group after two games.

While Sabalenka cruised through the first set, she was almost forced to a decider, but saved two set points in the 10th game of the second to level the score at 5-5 before going on to claim the victory.

In doing so, she became the first player to reach back-to-back semi-finals at the tournament as world number one since Serena Williams in 2013-14.

Having won three of her previous four tournaments and won 22 of her 23 matches in that time, Sabalenka is now just one win away from securing the year-end world number one spot for the first time, a feat she can achieve if she beats Elena Rybakina on Wednesday in the final round-robin match.

And she can go into it with confidence after improving her record against top-five opponents in 2024, with this her fifth such triumph.

"I'm proud of myself. Not only myself, my team," Sabalenka said. 

"We were able to overcome a lot of things. To be able to show such great tennis and become World No. 1. It's teamwork. It's not only me. The behind-the-scenes work nobody sees.

"But they do a lot for me. I really appreciate them for everything they do for me. This is motivation for me to keep winning on this court. Those guys deserve to be called the best team ever."

In Monday's other match, Zheng Qinwen kept her hopes of reaching the final four alive with her win over Rybakina.

The Olympic champion was forced to go the distance though, despite getting the first break in the first and second sets, but eventually came out on top 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-1 in just under two-and-a-half hours.

Since the event's inauguration in 1972, Zheng is just the second Chinese player to win a match at the WTA Finals after Li Na.

It was a milestone victory for the 22-year-old as well as she earned her 50th win of 2024, improving her record to 50-17, making her the first Chinese player in the Open Era to hit that mark in a calendar year, though she acknowledged she could have made things easier for herself.

"I was the one to make the first break, and then I let her back in the first," Zheng said.

"Then it happened again in the second. But in the third set, I talked to myself. I broke her first and I stayed focused.

"Finally, in the third set, I start to play my tennis again. So, I'm really happy to win the match."

Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance over Zheng Qinwen with victory in her first match of the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh. 

Sabalenka, who entered the tournament as the new world number one, emerged a 6-3 6-4 victor in just under an hour and a half in Saudi Arabia. 

The Belarusian's triumph saw her claim a 10th win against a top 10 opponent in 2024, surpassing Iga Swiatek (nine), who is in action against Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday. 

Sabalenka also improved her record to 5-0 against the Olympic champion, though acknowledged the difficulties she faced.

"I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen," Sabalenka said.

“It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I'm really, I’m really glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”

Having won the Australian Open and US Open this season, Sabalenka said it is her dream to claim a maiden WTA Finals crown. 

"It would mean everything to me. I really worked hard the past years since the very beginning of my career," the 26-year-old said.

"I really hope I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day."

In Saturday's other match, Jasmine Paolini marked her WTA Finals debut with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Elena Rybakina.

Paolini became the first Italian to register 40 wins during a single season at WTA events since Sara Errani, who managed 48 Tour-level victories in 2015.

Zheng Qinwen was delighted to atone for her 2022 Tokyo Open final defeat as she overcame Sofia Kenin to capture the title on Sunday.

Zheng won her third WTA title of the year by beating wild-card entrant Kenin 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Japanese capital.

The Chinese number one, who won gold at the Paris Olympic Games and successfully defended her Palermo title during the clay-court season, was featuring in her second Tokyo final after finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova two years ago.

Speaking after her victory, Zheng said: "I really appreciate that I'm able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo. 

"This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fought so hard, but I didn't, I lost in the final. So this year, I'm just really happy."

Zheng will now look to continue her momentum when she makes her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh next week, but she knows the competition in Saudi Arabia will be fierce. 

"All the players are really tough to beat," Zheng said. "From the first match, I'll need to be focused. It's the first time for me in the WTA Finals. I am so motivated but let’s see what's going to happen."

Data Debrief: Zheng flying in Asia

Zheng now boasts a 28-4 record since the end of Wimbledon, and her form through the Asian Swing has been nothing short of magnificent.

She went 12-2 through the Asian events, and her career win-loss record in Tokyo now stands at 8-1.

Aryna Sabalenka is not thinking about claiming the world number one ranking after her Wuhan Open triumph on Sunday. 

Sabalenka downed home favourite and reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwhen, prevailing 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim her fifth title on Chinese soil. 

The Belarusian became the player with the most main draw wins at the Wuhan Open since the tournament's inception in 2014, with this victory her 17th in as many matches at the competition.

Sabalenka is also only the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015) to win a WTA 1000 tournament in three consecutive editions, but faces a stern test in toppling Iga Swiatek at the summit of the WTA rankings ahead of the end of the season. 

"Really tight ranking right now," Sabalenka said. "Really nice to see. I always say, of course, it's one of my goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and just keep working hard.

"We'll see after the [WTA Finals] if I was good enough this season to become world number one."

Sabalenka (28) and Swiatek (30) are now the pair with the most WTA 1000 wins combined (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

But Sabalenka did not have it all her own way in Sunday's showdown with Zheng, who fought back in the second set to force a decider.

Sabalenka eventually halted Zheng's hopes of becoming just the second Chinese player to claim a WTA 1000 title after Li Na in 2012, but it was a tough test for the 26-year-old.

"First of all, I would say the conditions are probably a little bit better for her here," Sabalenka said.

"It's much slower and the ball's getting heavier. She has more things to do on the court when it's slower.

"Honestly, I felt like I just lost a little bit of focus and I let her come back in the match. I got a little bit frustrated there.

"It became a three-set match. Balls are getting heavier, in the third set, [it was] a bit emotional."

Aryna Sabalenka overcame home favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim a third straight crown at the Wuhan Open.

US Open champion Sabalenka has an immaculate record at the WTA 1000 event, where she extended her dominance on Sunday.

The showdown was a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, in which Sabalenka also came out on top.

She is now unbeaten in four matches against Zheng, this year's Olympic champion. 

Having required just 38 minutes to take the first set, Sabalenka was pegged back in the second, eventually succumbing after saving four break points.

Yet the Belarusian regained the impetus in the decider, swiftly taking a double-break lead and hardly looking back from there.

Data Debrief: Queen of Wuhan does the three-peat

What a year it has been for Sabalenka, and after previously winning in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, the world number two completed a hat-trick of trophies in style. She has played 17 times at the tournament and is yet to lose a match.

Sabalenka, who has won four trophies this year, is the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015), to win a WTA 1000 event in three consecutive editions of the tournament.

China is something of a home away from home for the 26-year-old, too. She is now the player to have won the most WTA-level titles on Chinese soil in the Open Era (five).

Meanwhile, Sabalenka and world number one Iga Swiatek are the pair with the most combined wins at WTA 1000 events (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

Zheng Qinwen is through to the Wuhan Open final after a straight-sets win over Wang Xinyu.

In a historic, first-ever all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event, Zheng reached her first such final, prevailing 6-3 6-4.

There was little to separate the two in the opening exchanges – just as Zheng edged in front with the first break in the fourth game, Wang responded, levelling the scores back at 3-3.

However, Zheng rallied, successfully defending a break point on her way to winning the last three games in a row to take the first set.

Wang faced 12 break points throughout the match, but failed to defend one in the second-set opener, before protecting three as she took a 2-1 lead.

Despite her fight, the Olympic gold medallist dug deep once more, getting two back-to-back breaks in order to clinch clinching the match.

She will face Aryna Sabalenka, who has never lost a match in Wuhan, in the final on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Home favourite

It has been a banner year for Zheng, who is also still in with a chance of qualifying for the WTA finals. Including the Olympics, she has reached the final of four events during 2024, the most she has managed during a single season. 

Only Qiang Wang and Shuai Peng (four each) have made more WTA level finals on Chinese soil than Zheng (three, Zhengzhou and Zhuhai in 2023 and Wuhan in 2024) among Chinese players in the Open Era.

In fact, Zheng is just the second Chinese player to reach the final of a WTA 1000 event since the introduction of the format in 2009, after Li Na.

World number seven Zheng Qinwen will face Wang Xinyu in the first all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event on Saturday, following the duo's quarter-final victories on Friday.

Zheng overcame Wimbledon and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the last eight of the Wuhan Open, teasing several errors out of the Italian in the deciding set of a big-hitting encounter.

She has now won more matches since the end of Wimbledon (23) than any other player on the WTA Tour, and her next opponent will be compatriot Wang.

Wang came through a gruelling encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier on Friday, saving two match points en route to a 4-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6) victory.

Making her first WTA 1000 semi-final, the world number 51 is the second-lowest ranked player to ever reach that stage in Wuhan.

The winner of Saturday's tie will take on either Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff in the final, with both players bidding to become the first Chinese player to go all the way at the tournament.

Data Debrief: Rare home contest in the offing

Since the inception of WTA 1000 events in 2009, only two local pairs have met in a semi-final match in the format, ahead of Zheng and Wang becoming the third this weekend.

Serena and Venus Williams faced off in Miami in 2009, while Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin battled it out in the final four of the 2019 Cincinnati Open.

Aryna Sabalenka quipped the drinks would be on her to get the Flushing Meadows crowd onside for her US Open semi-final against Emma Navarro.

Home favourite Navarro will go up against a player in form in the last four, after last year's runner-up Sabalenka put on a show of force against Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in the quarters.

Sabalenka claimed a statement 6-1 6-2 victory on Tuesday, in what was a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, which the Belarusian also won.

There was little let up for Zheng, as Sabalenka conceded fewer than five games against a WTA top-10 opponent for only the third time in her career, after wins over Coco Gauff in Indian Wells and Maria Sakkari at the WTA Finals last year.

Though Sabalenka knows that American Navarro, who followed up her win over defending champion Gauff by beating Paula Badosa, will have the crowd on her side.

"OK guys, drinks on me - and please give me some support in the next match," she laughed.

"She [Navarro] is a really good player. We had two battles, they were really close."

Sabalenka had more than just nerves to deal with against Zheng, given the great Roger Federer was watching on from the stands,

"I saw him there, saw him on the big screen," Sabalenka said regarding Federer, a five-time US Open champion.

"I was like, OK, I have to play my best tennis so he enjoys it. I have to show my skills, you know, slice skills, come to the net and all that stuff."

Data Debrief: Four on the spin for Sabalenka

Sabalenka has now reached four successive US Open semi-finals, as she takes her tally of last four appearances at grand slams to nine.

At the age of 26, she is the youngest woman to reach four straight semi-finals at Flushing Meadows since 2002.

She is the also first player to reach the women's singles semis at both the Australian Open and US Open in back-to-back years since Serena Williams (2015-16).

Emma Navarro is ready for the challenge of either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen as she bids for US Open glory at Flushing Meadows. 

Navarro, who had never made it past the first round in her previous appearances at New York, put on an impressive display to win in straight sets against Paula Badosa.

The American found herself 5-1 down in the second set, only to win the next six games in a row to reach her maiden grand slam semi-final. 

She also became the second American player since 2000 to make their first grand slam women's singles semi-final at the US Open, after Jennifer Brady did so in 2020. 

But waiting in the next round is last year's runner-up, Sabalenka, or the recently crowned Olympic champion Zheng, a challenge Navarro is not shying away from.

"I've played both of them a couple of times,” said Navarro. “They are great players, I think we will have a great battle. But I'll be up for the challenge of either of them.

"Both big servers, big hitters and I think they will come aggressively at me whichever one it is - but yeah I'll be ready."

Navarro had only won one match at the main stage of a grand slam before this year, but has got better and better throughout her breakout year of 2024.

She reached the third round of the Australian Open, the last 16 at the French Open, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and now the semi-finals of her home slam.

"After I got it back to 5-2, I had a bit of an inkling that it might be two sets," added Navarro.

"I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set.

"Just really happy with my performance today. Crazy to be moving on to the semi-finals. US Open baby."

Emma Navarro is ready for the challenge of either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen as she bids for US Open glory at Flushing Meadows. 

Navarro, who had never made it past the first round in her previous appearances at New York, put on an impressive display to win in straight sets against Paula Badosa.

The American found herself 5-1 down in the second set, only to win the next six games in a row to reach her maiden grand slam semi-final. 

She also became the second American player since 2000 to make their first grand slam women's singles semi-final at the US Open, after Jennifer Brady did so in 2020. 

But waiting in the next round is last year's runner-up, Sabalenka, or the recently crowned Olympic champion Zheng, a challenge Navarro is not shying away from.

"I've played both of them a couple of times,” said Navarro. “They are great players, I think we will have a great battle. But I'll be up for the challenge of either of them.

"Both big servers, big hitters and I think they will come aggressively at me whichever one it is - but yeah I'll be ready."

Navarro had only won one match at the main stage of a grand slam before this year, but has got better and better throughout her breakout year of 2024.

She reached the third round of the Australian Open, the last 16 at the French Open, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and now the semi-finals of her home slam.

"After I got it back to 5-2, I had a bit of an inkling that it might be two sets," added Navarro.

"I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set.

"Just really happy with my performance today. Crazy to be moving on to the semi-finals. US Open baby."

Aryna Sabalenka "doesn't want to leave" the US Open as she bids to reach a fourth consecutive semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

The Belarusian beat Elise Mertens to reach the quarter-finals, with Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng standing between her and a place in the final four.

It is the second time the pair will meet in 2024 after Sabalenka overcame Zheng in straight sets to win her second consecutive Australian Open title in January.

Sabalenka reached the final of the US Open last year, losing out to Coco Gauff, who was knocked out in the fourth round, leaving the 26-year-old as one of the favourites to clinch the title this year.

"I really enjoy playing on these big stadiums," Sabalenka said.

"I feel all the support. I just don't want to leave early here.

"I just want to stay as long as I can and enjoy this beautiful court and beautiful atmosphere."

Sabalenka is the first player to make the quarter-finals at the US Open in women's singles for 4+ consecutive years since Serena Williams (six in a row between 2011 and 2016).

And she will be looking to emulate the American's record of reaching the semi-finals in 4+ consecutive years on Tuesday.