Coco Gauff secures fourth consecutive WTA Finals appearance

Coco Gauff's outstanding consistency, despite her being so young, was again demonstrated after she booked her place for the 2025 WTA Finals.

The year-end championships on the WTA and ATP Tours are the perfect indicator of which men and women impressed most throughout the season. Having so many great players at the same event makes it among the most eagerly anticipated tournaments.

Gauff turned 21 in March. It can sometimes feel like the world No. 3 is older because she has been known to tennis fans worldwide since reaching the 2019 Wimbledon fourth round, a run that included beating Venus Williams, as a 15-year-old.

The American's maturity while facing almost constant media scrutiny in the years since that moment has been extraordinary. Many placed absurd expectations on her when she still had and has so many improvements to make as a player.

Gauff's level in the last few years is proven by her appearances at the WTA Finals. She first qualified for the 2022 iteration after a season that included reaching a maiden Grand Slam singles final at the French Open, losing to Iga Swiatek.

After failing to win a set in her first appearance at the year-end championships, Gauff improved by getting to the semifinals in 2023. The worldwide fan favorite qualified after a season that included winning the 2023 US Open.

Gauff secured the WTA Finals title in her third appearance in 2024. She defeated Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 to confirm that achievement, launching a stirring comeback after the Chinese player served for the title.

The American No. 1's work during the 2025 clay-court swing is the principal reason she qualified for the WTA Finals for a fourth consecutive time. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini in the Madrid Open and Italian Open finals.

That was followed by winning her second Grand Slam at the 2025 French Open. Gauff handled the windy conditions and played a much smarter match than Aryna Sabalenka to prevail 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Although Gauff's form dipped again in the grass court and North American hard court swings, she was still in a strong position to qualify before the 2025 China Open, one of the tournaments she won last year.

Gauff confirmed her place in Riyadh for the year-end championships with a trademark, battling 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory against Belinda Bencic. The 21-year-old might be the best player in tennis at digging out tough victories despite not being at her best.

Amanda Anisimova, who reached this year's Wimbledon and US Open finals, is close to qualifying for the WTA Finals. If she reaches the China Open final by winning two more matches, that would book her spot.

Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula currently occupy the No. 5 and No. 6 places in the race for the WTA Finals. The quartet of Gauff, Anisimova, Keys, and Pegula qualifying would demonstrate the strength of American tennis.

Although Mirra Andreeva lost in the China Open round of 16, she is also near qualification. The final spot looks like it will be a battle between Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, with Ekaterina Alexandrova having an outside chance at No. 10 in the race.