Coco Gauff returns to Asia with growing pressure as the tennis season heads into its decisive final stretch. The 21-year-old American is tasked with defending a large haul of ranking points across multiple tournaments in the coming weeks.
Her performance in these events could significantly impact her year-end standing and qualification for the season finale.
How Many Points Does Coco Gauff Have To Defend in the Asian Hard-Court Swing?
Among all the top contenders, Coco Gauff faces the steepest defending load during this year’s Asian swing. The former US Open winner must safeguard 2,690 points from her stellar 2024 campaign spread over three major tournaments.
That defending tally comes in significant portions from last year’s remarkable run. At the China Open in Beijing, Gauff clinched her second WTA 1000 crown, pocketing 1,000 points after a straight-sets victory over Karolina Muchova. The win ended her nine-month title drought and made her just the second American, after Serena Williams, to triumph in Beijing.
Coco Gauff is taking home the hardware in China! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1rzUOGT68m
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) October 6, 2024
Following her Beijing triumph, Gauff reached the Wuhan Open semifinals before falling to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. That semifinal appearance added 390 points to her tally. Despite serving 21 double faults in the loss, her Wuhan run helped build momentum for the season’s biggest prize.
MORE: Hours After Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff Reaches Beijing for Title Defense
The largest portion of her defending points comes from her crowning achievement at the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh. Gauff captured the year-end championship for the first time, earning 1,300 points by defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final. The victory made her the youngest American to win the WTA Finals since Serena Williams and completed her career set of titles at all tournament levels.
Coco Gauff becomes the first American woman to win the WTA Finals since Serena Williams in 2014.
Proud.
🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/7Y0PxrTv0f
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 9, 2024
This year’s schedule follows the same pattern as 2024, with the China Open running from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5, followed immediately by the Wuhan Open from Oct. 6-12. The WTA Finals will again conclude the season from Nov. 1-8 in Riyadh.
By contrast, other top players face much lighter defending loads. World No. 2 Iga Świątek has only 400 points to defend after missing most of last year’s Asian swing due to a provisional doping suspension. This disparity could reshape the year-end rankings depending on how each player performs over the coming weeks.
