Coco Gauff’s 2024 season made waves, though not without its challenges. The American tennis star faced a series of ups and downs, battling through difficulties to end the year on a high note.
She lifted the WTA Finals title and, surprisingly, finished the year with higher earnings than her rivals, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
The year started promisingly for Gauff as she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and produced steady results in other major tournaments.
However, after a semifinal loss to Swiatek at Roland Garros, Gauff’s form dipped. Her serve became inconsistent, which in turn affected her overall game. She couldn’t defend her titles in Cincinnati and New York, as Sabalenka emerged as the dominant force on the American hardcourt swing.
To turn things around, Gauff parted ways with her former coach Brad Gilbert and began working with Matt Daly. The results were immediate. She ended a lengthy title drought at the China Open and then capped off her season with an incredible triumph at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Although she didn’t win a Grand Slam this year-unlike Sabalenka and Swiatek-who each secured a major title, Gauff still achieved significant success in terms of earnings.
On-court struggles haven’t hindered Gauff’s earnings
According to Sportico, Gauff topped the list of the highest-paid female athletes of 2024, earning a total of 430 million in prize money and endorsements. This impressive figure placed her ahead of Swiatek ($21.4 million) and Sabalenka ($17.7 million).
A major part of Gauff’s financial success came from her record-breaking win in Riyadh, where she earned a career-high prize of $4.81 million-the largest prize in the history of women’s tennis.
When Gauff won the WTA Finals, she was surprised by the size of her prize money. After her three-set comeback victory over Qinwen Zheng in the final, Gauff shared her shock with the crowd.
“I didn’t know, like I knew it was some money, but I didn’t know that much. Oh gosh, I hope I’m like one of the highest-paid female tennis players this year or athletes so that’ll be exciting. I wanted to win this for myself. I didn’t know that it was the biggest prize cheque on this tour,” Gauff declared.
Despite the challenges she faced earlier in the season, Gauff’s financial success and her spectacular finish to 2024 have solidified her place as one of the top stars in women’s tennis.
Read the full article here
