Coco Gauff‘s campaign at the WTA Finals is up and running. Coming into the event with confidence oozing by her side (winning the China Open and reaching the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open), she made a bold statement in the very first match. Taking revenge for her last year’s loss, she defeated Jessica Pegula in the opener with the scoreline 6-3, 6-2. While she might have only secured her first win of the campaign, the records have already started to follow her. After making it to the finals, she joined a rare feat, one that’s only been achieved by another legend of the sport.

Coco Gauff has etched her name in history books. Since the round-robin format was reintroduced in 2003, only she and Maria Sharapova have achieved the feat of qualifying for three or more consecutive WTA Finals before turning 21. Sharapova achieved this milestone from 2004 to 2007, and now Gauff has matched her with appearances in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

In 2022, Gauff’s debut at the WTA Finals proved challenging. She was unable to secure a win in her group-stage matches, losing to top players Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia, and Daria Kasatkina. That early exit could have dampened her spirits, but instead, Gauff used it as a learning experience. Fast forward to 2023, Gauff returned stronger, this time advancing to the semi-finals, showcasing her ability to bounce back. Although she fell to Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, her progression was a sign of her growing maturity and resilience at the highest level.

Maria Sharapova, on the other hand, found success early in her WTA Finals journey. In 2004, she overcame Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to claim her only WTA Finals (then WTA Tour Championships) title. Despite being the defending champion, Maria Sharapova was defeated by Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals of the 2005 WTA Tour Championships. However, post that, she hasn’t been able to lay her hands on the title.

While Gauff has yet to claim the title, her ability to qualify for three consecutive Finals before the age of 21 signals her potential to follow in Sharapova’s footsteps. With the recent coaching changes for the American superstar, significant results could follow her!

Coco Gauff opens up on the changes that she’s undergoing under new coach

Coco Gauff has been working through some significant adjustments in her game, especially with her serve under coach Matt Daly. Gauff revealed these changes during her WTA Finals opening press conference, where she discussed how difficult it is to make technical modifications while actively competing in tournaments. “Yeah, no, I have made change with that,” she said when asked about her serve adjustments. Back in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open, she hit 21 double faults against Aryna Sabalenka. Not only this, she also recorded 19 double faults in her loss to Emma Navarro back at the US Open.

Gauff acknowledged that changing something as fundamental as her grip is not easy, especially since she’s been doing it a certain way for most of her career. Even Brad Gilbert, her ex-coach, once revealed the amount of hatred that he had to go through to work on Gauff’s grip. “It’s too easy to say I want to win x, y, z. Everybody does, but there’s parts of her game that she definitely needs to work with. I’ve never got so many texts in my life as I got once I started coaching her that instantly everything is about, ‘Fix your forehand. Fix your grip.’”

However, she also recognized that over time, her technique had shifted naturally. “It is difficult, but you got to think of the long-term and the long run,” Gauff added. Having spent 2 weeks at home working on her serve before heading to the WTA Finals, Gauff feels optimistic about the results but admits that it’s still a work in progress.“When it was going well, it was going really well. Yeah, we’ll see how it goes here.”

With Daly’s guidance, Gauff is committed to making the necessary adjustments, knowing that these changes could unlock a new level in her already promising game.