Gigi Salmon column: Coco Gauff’s unimaginable psychological energy at WTA Finals and tennis in Saudi Arabia

I am penning 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 unhealthy 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 group as to who’s the best British sportsperson, and also you wont be shocked to know that Andy Murray has had just a few mentions!

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

Whereas the controversy 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 needed to look again on the WTA’s season-ending event.

It was every week that was topped off with a improbable last, 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 all the way 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 largest last and now largest title since successful the US Open in 2023. On her strategy 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 recreation 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 current 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 talking to us stay on Sky Sports activities Tennis after the ultimate saying that she is exhausted, she advised Laura Robson on media day that when the season is lastly over she’s off to a music competition, and she will’t wait.

Saudi Arabia transferring in proper course with girls’s sport

So far as the finals being performed in Saudi Arabia, one thing that generated lots of dialogue and headlines when it was introduced, whereas there’s nonetheless lots 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 suitable course in the case of getting girls engaged in and taking part in sport.

The final 10 days noticed gamers previous and current maintain teaching clinics, make themselves as seen as doable and see for themselves the place the nation is and the place it needs to go. As all the time it is what occurs when everybody leaves when the event is completed, nevertheless it does sound from talking to a varied people who whereas not transferring on the pace many would love it to vary is occurring and the WTA being there’s a constructive transfer.

We did get the prospect to discover a bit and for Laura and I that meant sand dunes, quad bikes and camel driving. A 4.30am departure from the resort meant we acquired to see the dawn, then got here the quad bikes and eventually 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’d hear myself say: ‘Laura can I experience 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 recreation it’s in good fingers.

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

Sinner large favorite for ATP Finals

Whereas we had been away Cam Norrie had a superb 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 would not function a member of the Massive Three following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal. The prize pot is identical 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 now we have 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’t think about that anybody will stray removed from world No 1 Jannik Sinner.

I hope you may be a part of us – we will probably be with you reside daily from Turin, the place the event will function a day and an evening session and, after totally 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 biggest British sportsperson…

Monday on the Nitto ATP Finals on Sky Sports activities Tennis

• 4-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz opens in opposition to 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 will probably be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra stay sport this 12 months at no further price. Discover out extra right here.