January 07, (THEWILL) – Rising American tennis star, Coco Gauff, began 2024 in strong form, defeating Elina Svitolina in 3 sets to retain her Auckland Classic title on Sunday. The victory demonstrates the 19-year-old’s continued growth into a dominant force on the WTA tour.
Gauff burst onto the global tennis scene as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon in 2019. Now world number three, she heads to next week’s Australian Open looking to claim her second career Grand Slam singles title after a breakthrough in 2023 saw Gauff lift the US Open trophy.
The Auckland final proved a challenging test for Gauff. Svitolina, a two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, pushed the match to three sets and even captured the first in a tiebreak. However, Gauff refocused to control the final two sets, winning 6-3 6-3 to claim her 7th WTA singles title.
Both players spoke positively after the final despite Svitolina’s disappointment at the loss. Gauff emphasised that defending a title posed new challenges compared to her breakthrough Auckland win in 2023. Meanwhile, Svitolina expressed enjoyment in returning to tour tennis after giving birth in 2022.
Gauff’s strong Auckland performance suggests she could mount a challenge for the Australian Open title. Her mix of youth and experience, plus her newly proven ability to close out tournaments, makes her a dangerous competitor in Melbourne.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
