Coco Gauff kickstarts 2024 season with title win in Auckland

Coco Gauff opened her 2024 campaign by successfully defending her ASB Classic title after prevailing over No.2 seed Elina Svitolina 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 in Sunday’s nail-biting final at the WTA 250 event in the New Zealand.

The 19-year-old and World No.3 who was the top seed going into the event in Auckland in two hours and thirty-five minutes to win her seventh Hologic WTA Tour singles title of her career.

“I don’t know if I was expecting this result, but I’m really happy with how I managed to play today,” Gauff said after her win. “I think today level-wise was definitely not my best match or best level this week, but sometimes when you win when you’re not playing your best, it makes you feel more satisfied.”

With the title triumph,  the reigning US Open champion Gauff has now won 10 straight matches at the ASB Classic after yet another victory on the hard courts of Auckland, New Zealand.

World No.3 Gauff’s perfect set-winning record over the last two editions of the event ended when she dropped Sunday’s first-set tie break, but she is still 20-1 in sets at the tournament during her two title runs.

Gauff is the fourth player to win back-to-back WTA titles at the ASB Classic, joining Patty Fendick (1988 and 1989), Eleni Daniilidou (2003 and 2004) and Julia Goerges (2018 and 2019).