Coco Gauff fought back remarkably to defeat the in-form Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng at the WTA Finals, pocketing a hefty pay check in the process.
Coco Gauff’s victory capped off an exceptional week, during which she also defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek and world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Facing a 5-3 deficit in the third set of the final, Gauff stayed composed, rallying to force a tie-break, where she dominated to close out the match.
This week marked a striking turnaround for Gauff, who recently changed coaches and had been struggling with her serve and forehand, both of which mostly held up under the pressure in Riyadh.
Her triumph was especially historic, as the event became the first elite women’s tennis tournament hosted in Saudi Arabia, with a record-setting prize fund on the line.
But how much exactly did Gauff win – and what is she going to do with it all?
Coco Gauff reacts after winning most prize money at WTA event
The tournament’s location and unprecedented prize money underscore both a controversial and landmark moment for women’s sport – it depends on who you ask.
Gauff has spoken this week about how the growth of women’s tennis in regions that have previously not seen it is good for the both the wider sporting world and for women.
Having notched up the win, Gauff can also expect a record $4.805 million in prize money for the title.
It is the biggest payout in history for a women’s tennis event, topping the $4.42 million Ashleigh Barty earned during the 2019 WTA Finals.
Reacting to the news, it became clear that Gauff was unaware of the figure she’d just earned: “Oh really! I didn’t know, jeez! I knew it was some money but I didn’t know it was that much! It means a lot to me,” she said in her press conference.
Moving on to how she might spend her winnings, she said: “How will I treat myself? I don’t know. I have bought a house and I don’t really know what else I want other than that. I am going to a musical festival next week. I am not someone who likes to spend a lot of money to be honest. I don’t know what I will do with it. That’s a lot of money!
“4.8. Oh gosh,” she reflected again. “I hope I am one of the highest paid female tennis players or athletes this year, that will be exciting.”
While the pay check is obviously important, Gauff was quick to say how playing good tennis was her main objective for the week.
“Honestly I wanted to win this for myself, I didn’t know it was the prize cheque on this tour. I knew there was money but I never play for this. But that is cool!”
How does this WTA prize money compare to the four Grand Slams?
Pocketing nearly five million dollars, Gauff, who admittedly wasn’t strapped for cash beforehand, has certainly received a major boost to her year-end earnings.
Her WTA Finals win has shot her up to just below Jannik Sinner, who leads the earnings this year with two Grand Slams and five other titles.
In comparison to the Grand Slams, the WTA Finals prize money is more than all of them, with the US Open the most lucrative of the four majors.
| Event | Total Prize Money (in local currency) |
| WTA Finals | $4,805,000 |
| US Open | $3,150,000 |
| Wimbledon | £2,700,000 ($3,487,725) |
| French Open | €2,400,000 ($2,893,995) |
| Australian Open | $3,150,000 ($1,776,600) |
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