When Coco Gauff fell to Jessica Pegula in her WTA Finals opener, it was clear she’d have to dig deeper if she wanted a shot at the semifinals. Fast forward to Riyadh, and the 21-year-old walked in chasing history, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Serena Williams, by becoming the first player since Serena’s 2014 three-peat to successfully defend the WTA Finals crown. This time, Gauff didn’t just rise to the occasion as she made sure her dream stayed alive.

In a high-energy showdown at the WTA Finals, defending champion Coco Gauff powered past Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday. The dominant straight-sets win kept the American firmly in the hunt for a semifinal berth at the season-ending championship. And when the match was over, Coco Gauff had a few words for her opponent during her on-court interview.

According to the report of the Tennis  Gazette, “I don’t think Jasmine [Paolini] was 100% today, so I would like to give her well wishes for her next matches today,” Coco Gauff said confidently. “Playing singles and doubles is not easy,” she further added. Later, speaking about her own performance, the two-time Grand Slam champion said, “I’m really happy with how I played today.”

“It’s definitely a turnaround from my first match, but the beauty of this tournament is that you get another chance to prove yourself,” Gauff added. “Hopefully I can do well in my next one to give myself a chance to stay in the tournament.” The third seed wasted no time taking control, racing to a 4-1 lead before a couple of double faults allowed Paolini to break back.

But Gauff immediately responded, breaking again with a trademark cross-court backhand and closing out the 40-minute opener with a love hold. The Italian started the second set with more consistency, yet some outstanding defense from Gauff in the fifth game turned the tide once again. From there, the American stayed composed, consolidating the break for a 4-2 lead.

Paolini, however, had been dealing with illness upon arriving at the tournament, and it showed. She looked out of sorts as Gauff broke again, sealing the match with a confident serving display and sharp forehands. With her hopes hanging by a thread, Paolini faces elimination if Jessica Pegula upsets world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka later today. So what Jasmine Paolini does next will be left to be seen. But it seems Coco Gauff has already set her eyes on her next target. What is it, you ask?

Coco Gauff is playing the long game, and winning it too

As reported by the UAE outlet The National, Coco Gauff, when speaking about her dreams, said, “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.”

“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 before her match against her Italian opponent. “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.”

With that, it’s clear she’s truly locked in on taking things one match at a time. But after pulling off a successful title defense, there’s little doubt that Coco Gauff has cemented her place as the natural successor to Serena Williams’ legacy on the WTA Tour. So, with her confidence and consistency on full display, how far do you see Coco Gauff going this season?