Coco Gauff is heading into the WTA Finals in Riyadh with the chance to emulate her idol, Serena Williams, by becoming the first player to successfully defend her WTA Finals title since Williams completed a three-peat in 2014. The American star, who captured the prestigious season-ending title in 2024, is now on the verge of matching a specific piece of the Williams legacy that has remained untouched for over a decade.

As reported by The National News, when confronted with the prospect of this iconic record, Gauff offered a verdict that reveals her mature mindset. She stated, “I’m not thinking about that. I really just want to focus on my first match ahead and take it one match at a time. I think that’s what I did last year. Going to try to keep that mindset.”

This focus on the immediate challenge rather than the historical achievement underscores the pragmatic approach that has become a hallmark of her recent success. Her comment, “I know it’s been a long time since anyone defended, so it’s like, OK, I hope I’m that person,” she said with a smile. “But if not, whatever. When you’re playing this tournament, your expectations — at least for me personally — aren’t that high because you’re playing the top eight in the world,” highlights a balance between ambition and a healthy respect for the elite level of competition at the Finals.

This perspective has been hard-won through a season of both triumph and adversity. Gauff arrives in Riyadh having secured her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and a WTA 1000 crown in Wuhan, building a formidable 47-14 win-loss record for the season.

However, her year has also been a roller coaster, marked by a coaching shake-up and a very public struggle to transform her serve, which even led to a panic attack during her US Open second-round match. So what really happened there?

Coco Gauff’s tennis experience at home wasn’t that easy

Coco Gauff had a tough and emotional ride during her 2025 US Open, ultimately wrapping up her journey with a fourth-round loss. She faced some tough mental and technical challenges during her tournament. While working with a biomechanics expert to remodel her serve, she experienced a public panic attack in her second-round match.

After a couple of tough matches filled with mistakes, she really hit her stride in the third round, cruising to a solid straight-sets win over Magdalena Frech. But in the fourth round, Naomi Osaka put a stop to her run by focusing on Gauff’s weaker forehand and serve. Gauff talked about the tiring ups and downs, saying, “It’s been an emotional week … but I think I needed those tough moments to be able to move forward. I was putting so much pressure on myself, but I’m really out here just trying to enjoy it and not focus so much on results, but the process, and I think today showed that I was really having fun out there.”

Now, as  Coco Gauff steps onto the court in Riyadh, she’s not just carrying the hope of matching one of Serena’s lasting records; she’s also showing that the champion’s mindset she looked up to can be created all over again. She’s really concentrating on one match at a time, but if she pulls off a successful title defense, it would definitely solidify her place as the natural successor to Serena Williams’ legacy on the WTA tour.