The Title Defenders of the 2024 WTA Season | 2024 WTA Wrap | Day 6

Coco Goff, back to back. Making history on this tennis court. Picture of perfection in Wuhan. It is the final that I think a lot of people were hoping for. The number one seed up against the number two seed. The defending champion, of course, Coco Goff, who won this title so impressively 12 months ago without dropping a set the whole week. It's the third Hologic WTA title for Coco Goff. It was just a matter of time. Well, she is looking to repeat that 12 months on because she is now on a nine-match winning streak here in Auckland and she has won her last 18 sets as well. Goff goes back to back at the ASB Classic here in Auckland. Becomes the fourth player to defend her title in Auckland. And is it the start of what is going to be a quite incredible 2024. Coco Goff, the champion in Auckland. Yeah, this is my first time ever having to defend a title. So really happy that I was able to do it today. I'd like to congratulate Alina. Oh, there you go. Sorry. And your team for an incredible week. This year's tournament was a lot different. Last year it rained almost every single match. And we were playing indoors of, you know, just two or three people watching. So it's really cool. It's good to play in front of a packed crowd almost every match. So thank you guys. The iconic, the one, the only Coco Goff. She is the two-time defending Doha champion winning the last 21 sets she has played in her 90th week as the world number one Iga Svantek looks to continue her dominance at this tournament. Iga Svantek, champion in Qatar once again. So Svantek wins the toss and she's elected to serve. Svantek trying to do what no other player has done, win the tournament three years in a row. Three championship points for the world number one. Done and delivered in Doha. No other player has won the Doha title three times. And Iga Svantek, the world number one, has done it three times in a row, making history on this tennis court. 12 straight match wins, 23 straight sets. And Iga Svantek will lift the title in Doha again. No other player in the history of this tournament has won the title three times. You've just won it back to back to back. Tremendous accomplishment. Oh my God, guys. You don't even know how hard it was not to think about it, you know. I came here and I was just, you know, pretty stressed because of that, because I felt the expectations. But yeah, I wanted to just do everything step by step, as I always do. And again, it worked. So thank you, you know, to the team also for keeping me on the ground and focusing on the right stuff. Because, yeah, achieving that is great, you know. I'm really happy and really proud of myself. The defending champion. Here she is, Katie Boulter of Great Britain. Boulter, the number three seed. Both players to contend with playing their semifinal earlier on today. Championship point number two. A week that Katie Boulter will never forget. Advantage, Boulter. Championship point number two. And she's done it! Katie Boulter of Great Britain successfully defends her Rosse Open title from last year. And just as she did in San Diego, she had to come from behind. And she defeats the world number 50. And the champion of 2023 is the champion in 2024. It's incredible to be here. It's got a special place in my heart. It always will do. I haven't got much voice left, but I'm trying to talk as much as possible. But yeah, I mean, it's been an incredible week for me. Mentally tough after a really hard clay court season. You know, it's a massive thank you to my team because I really can't have been easy during the clay court swing. Yeah, they're incredible and I wouldn't be here without them. Zhang Xinwen of China, just 21 years of age, but the defending champion 12 months ago, winning a three set battle against Jasmine Paolini. It is the first WTA title for Zhang Xinwen, the 20-year-old who has shown so much promise already in her young career. Now returning here and coming through this week without dropping a set. She's really become a young superstar of Chinese tennis, looking to emulate the great Li Na. Delight at last for Zhang Xinwen, defending her title in Palermo. But what a fight it was after the ease with which she came through the draw in straight sets time and again. That was anything but easy. Her third career title, a proud moment for her. I'm really happy to come back here in this tournament in Palermo. It's a really, really special place for me. It's my third year here and second title. There's nothing can describe my feeling. Glad to, thanks to the fans to come here watching tonight. And I love the atmosphere here. Jess Pagula hunts back-to-back Canadian Open titles. If the world number six does win today, she would be the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999-2000 to do the Montreal-Toronto double. Pagula, even though she's talked about not playing her best tennis throughout the week, hasn't dropped a set all the way to the final. Jess Pagula, the Queen of Canada, as it is double delight for the world number six. Different city, same result. She defends her Canadian Open title. And my grandparents are here that are actually Canadian. If I'm saying that right, I think my grandma's from Montreal and my grandpa's from Toronto, right? Yeah? Okay, so I have one in each city. So that's, you know, one for each of you guys. Irina Sabalenka has never lost a match in Wuhan. Today she pursues becoming the event's most prolific and rewarded player in tournament history. Now China is starting to feel a bit like a second home. For Irina Sabalenka. She's put up some tremendous numbers this year, a number of finals this year, and all three of her wins have been on hard courts. And Irina Sabalenka remains the picture of perfection in Wuhan. And in three sets, she'll find her way to her third championship run in three appearances at this tournament. She has dominated 17-0. Wow, that sounds crazy. And this place definitely feels like home. But I will definitely come back stronger, even stronger than this year. And I'll do my best to keep holding this beautiful trophy in this beautiful place. I really enjoy playing here. And I'll do my best to come back as strong as possible.