China's Qinwen Zheng plays a shot against Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their women's singles final match of the WTA finals at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Photo: VCG

China’s tennis ace Zheng Qinwen finished her maiden WTA Finals campaign as the runner-up after being defeated by Coco Gauff of the US 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 in the final.  

But the second-place finish is already an inspiring one, as it marks only Zheng’s debut in the WTA year-ending championship.  

Before the final, Zheng’s sole loss in the round-robin stage was against world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who was defeated by Gauff in the semifinals.  

Zheng is only the second Asian player to reach the final at the WTA Finals after Li Na achieved the feat in 2013.  

Chen Chi, a Beijing-based tennis commentator, told the Global Times that, despite the defeat, the runner-up finish demonstrates Zheng’s ability to challenge every player on the WTA Tour.  

“Reaching the final and finishing as runner-up is already an incredible achievement,” Chen said. 

“If Zheng continues her trajectory next season, there’s a chance for her to make even greater strides in tennis, which will also attract more global attention.”