Gigi Salmon column: Coco Gauff’s unbelievable psychological energy at WTA Finals and tennis in Saudi Arabia | Tennis Information

I am scripting this at Istanbul airport as we look ahead to our connection to Turin and, having left for the airport in Riyadh at 5am on Sunday morning after two hours sleep, please excuse any dangerous spelling or random musings, though in the case of camel rides that’s meant to be in right here!

As we look ahead to our flight a debate is in full swing among the many staff as to who’s the best British sportsperson, and also you wont be shocked to know that Andy Murray has had a couple of mentions!

Fingers are beginning to be pointed and lack of sleep may result in some fascinating dialogue however it’s a great way of passing the time.

Whereas the talk continues I’ll get to the tennis and as an alternative of ready till the ATP Finals had been completed, with our journey to Saudi Arabia and the WTA Finals nonetheless contemporary in my thoughts, I wished to look again on the WTA’s season-ending match.

It was every week that was topped off with a improbable ultimate, the youngest WTA Finals showpiece since 2004 when Serena Williams confronted Maria Sharapova, with this 12 months’s version seeing the youngest winner in 20-year-old Coco Gauff.

Gauff got here from a set right down to beat Olympic Gold Medallist, 22-year-old Qinwen Zheng in simply over three hours, 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2). It was Gauff’s greatest ultimate and now greatest title since profitable the US Open in 2023. On her option to the ultimate she beat the highest two gamers on the earth in Aryna Sabalenka, who finishes the 12 months as world No 1, and Iga Swiatek.

Gauff has well-documented areas in her sport that may breakdown within the forehand and serve, however her psychological energy is second to none, she attracts energy from negativity and is doing issues her manner and in her personal time.

In latest instances, she has made some teaching adjustments with the addition of Jean-Christophe Faurel and Matt Daly who specialises in grip adjustments, one thing they’ve already began taking a look at together with her serve.

And whereas chatting with us dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis after the ultimate saying that she is exhausted, she instructed Laura Robson on media day that when the season is lastly over she’s off to a music pageant, and she will’t wait.

Saudi Arabia transferring in proper path with ladies’s sport

So far as the finals being performed in Saudi Arabia, one thing that generated a number of dialogue and headlines when it was introduced, whereas there’s nonetheless a number of work to be completed earlier than we see the change that’s spoken of occur, it does look as if issues are transferring in the precise path in the case of getting ladies engaged in and enjoying sport.

The final 10 days noticed gamers previous and current maintain teaching clinics, make themselves as seen as potential and see for themselves the place the nation is and the place it desires to go. As all the time it is what occurs when everybody leaves when the match is finished, but it surely does sound from chatting with a numerous folks that whereas not transferring on the pace many would really like it to vary is going on and the WTA being there’s a optimistic transfer.

We did get the prospect to discover a bit of and for Laura and I that meant sand dunes, quad bikes and camel using. A 4.30am departure from the resort meant we received to see the dawn, then got here the quad bikes and at last the camels.

I used to be planning on giving this half a miss having ridden one years in the past and being pretty unimpressed, however I used to be ushered ahead and earlier than I knew it, I used to be getting on a camel with Laura, as there have been 4 of us and solely three camels. The extra I politely declined the provide of getting on the extra they weren’t taking no for a solution, so then it occurred, the phrases I by no means thought I might hear myself say: ‘Laura can I trip in your camel with you!’

As soon as the season lastly shuts down, which it does for a really transient period of time, I’ll look again on the 12 months and forward to 2025 however I feel it is honest to say that in the case of the ladies’s sport it’s in good fingers.

Behind the scenes in Riyadh issues had been very busy throughout the staff, manufacturing supervisor James walked right into a window, pondering it was a door, Patrick spent the week avoiding nuts that he might or will not be allergic too, and there have been nuts in most issues and Kirsty spent her first week with the tennis staff and we expect we have now received her over.

Sinner massive favorite for ATP Finals

Whereas we had been away Cam Norrie had an excellent finish to the season, reaching the ultimate in Metz, whereas Katie Boulter would wrap up her 12 months at a career-high rating of twenty third.

Subsequent cease Turin, which is below manner and for the primary time since 2001 it does not function a member of the Massive Three following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal. The prize pot is similar as for the WTA Finals, $15.25m (£11.83m) unfold throughout the singles and doubles with an undefeated singles champion strolling away with $4.8m (£3.7m).

So to predictions and we have now been requested who will make the ultimate in Turin, who will win and our shock bundle.

Nobody is giving something away as to who they’ve chosen, however I can not think about that anybody will stray removed from world No 1 Jannik Sinner.

I hope you’ll be able to be a part of us – we shall be with you reside every single day from Turin, the place the match will function a day and an evening session and, after absolutely admitting they weren’t on it with their predictions in Riyadh, Laura and Tim have promised to step issues up, so be a part of us on Sky Sports activities Tennis.

And as I end this Lennox Lewis has been thrown into our debate concerning the best British sportsperson…

Monday on the Nitto ATP Finals on Sky Sports activities Tennis

• 4-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz opens towards Casper Ruud at 1pm (GMT) in John Newcombe Group
• New world No 2 Alexander Zverev takes on Andrey Rublev from 7.30pm

Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and shall be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this 12 months at no additional value. Discover out extra right here.