Coco Gauff, 20, becomes the youngest winner of WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova achieved the feat in 2004, the same year Gauff was born

COCO Gauff made history today (November 10) by becoming the youngest player to win the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004, the same year Gauff was born.

She is also the youngest American to claim the title since Serena Williams in 2001.

In a thrilling final that lasted over three hours, the 20-year-old American staged a remarkable comeback, recovering from a set and a break down to defeat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With the victory, Gauff not only claimed her first WTA Finals title but also took home a record $4.8 million (£3.7 million) prize — the largest payout in women’s tennis history.

"This means a lot to me," said Gauff, the third seed. "This is the first professional women's tennis event here in Saudi Arabia and I'll forever be etched in history in that standard."

After the match, Gauff spoke to Sky Sports about her performance: "That was a great match. I was just trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up."

Gauff’s victory also marked another milestone, as she became the youngest player to reach the WTA Finals championship match since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.