Even before the start of the WTA Finals, it seemed that the main favorites to triumph in Saudi Arabia were Aryna Sabalenka (1st WTA) and Iga Świątek (2nd WTA). Ultimately, the winner was Coco Gauff (3rd WTA), who defeated China's Qinwen Zheng (7th WTA) in the final 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 and won the tournament for the first time in her career. This is one of the greatest successes of Gauff's career, apart from winning the US Open Grand Slam in 2023 – when she won 2:6, 6:3, 6:2 against Sabalenka.
– I would like to thank my team. It's been a long season. I want to say: thank you. Win or lose, I always have fun with you guys. Thank you to my parents. My mother is here. My dad is watching at home, my brother, my grandparents, said Gauff right after winning the tournament, at the same time emphasizing how important faith in God is to her.
It turns out that one of Gauff's entries had a negative impact among some Internet users – although there are also positive comments towards the American.
Gauff added an entry, and suddenly… a reference to Christmas
Gauff published a short entry on X, reacting to winning the final tournament in Saudi Arabia. “Lol it's safe to say that I've dealt with the accusations of a bad season. Kiss. I also know that I usually focus on the haters, but this post is really for all my fans. I know some people are a bit petty like me, so it's nice “shut them up a bit,” wrote the American. Gauff won three tournaments this season – apart from the WTA Finals, she triumphed in Auckland and Beijing. However, her entry was not well received by some fans on social media.
“It's unnecessary to address critics often, although I understand you have your reasons for doing so”, “the fact that you feel the need to mention it means that these comments still affect you”, “you're still focused on the haters” – we read in the comments under Gauff's entry. One of the comments included a reference to Iga Świątek (2nd WTA). “You are always childish when you publish something. Learn something from Iga and Sabalenka in this context,” adds one of the Internet users.
The reference to Świątek appeared not by accident, because Iga regularly showed her class on the Internet, publishing various entries after winning tournaments. “I am so proud of myself, grateful to my team, to my family, grateful for all your support, for cheering me on. And I want to say it out loud: IT WAS SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER PLANET. Thank you Paris. You are my favorite place to play, smile and wear nice clothes from time to time,” wrote Świątek after winning the Grand Slam Roland Garros in 2024.