Editor’s note: Ahead of the year-end tournament, we’re publishing Road to the WTA Finals, an eight-part snapshot of the qualifiers and the form they bring to Indian Wells. Check back all week for new installments.

Flash back to the 2025 US Open, where one of the lasting memories of Coco Gauff was the troubling sight of her wiping away tears after hitting her seventh double fault against Donna Vekic. Now fast forward a year, to the 2026 US Open. Twelve months after hiring biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, and now armed with a much-improved serve that was suddenly helping her win matches, Gauff had a spirited run to the semifinals in New York. When we look back on Gauff's 2026 in the future, the main takeaway might be that this was a transformative year, when she turned her biggest weakness into a viable weapon.

Everything else in her game was elite, as per usual, from her movement to her defense. She left the Top 5 only briefly, following the Clay-Court Swing, and then returned after reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon. She added a fourth career WTA 1000 title and will be making her fifth consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals. 

After a season-long race, the world's top players converge in the California desert with the WTA's biggest title still to be won.

The 2026 season in review

The scorecard

W-L: 47-15

Titles: 1 (Cincinnati)

In a nutshell: Consistent deep runs kept Gauff comfortably in the Top 5 for the vast majority of the season. She reached WTA 1000 finals in Miami and Rome, to go with semifinals in Dubai, Wimbledon, Toronto and at the US Open. The apex of her season came in Cincinnati, where she dropped just one set and defeated Jessica Pegula in the final to claim her second Cincinnati Open title. 

Beyond the results

The match that defined her year: The biggest win of Gauff's season was the victory over Pegula in the Cincinnati final. But the most memorable one, and the one that most embodied her resilient season, was her thrilling 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 win over Mirra Andreeva in the US Open quarterfinals. Gauff saved two match points in the second-set tiebreak and willed herself to victory despite 12 double faults and 42 unforced errors. She was nearly unbeatable at that point in the season, with 20 wins in her previous 22 matches. 

One number to know: 12. That's how many come-from-behind wins Gauff had in 2026, tied with Pegula for the most on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. 

The social highlight of the year: Gauff continues to transcend tennis and sit comfortably in the pop culture zeitgeist. That was certainly evident when the 22-year-old made a surprise appearance in the music video for Gunna's single "Pop It." Gauff and the rapper begin the video on the court, before Gauff fires an ace to begin the song. Rocking a white crop cop with black trim and thigh-high boots, Gauff swings her racquet and nods to the tune throughout. 

In her words: "Just believing is all I can do. The game may not always show up, but I can control the belief in myself. Even if it's delusional. I think the more instances that I keep showing up and being successful in those moments, maybe the delusion will be more factual." - Gauff after beating Andreeva in the US Open quarterfinals

The shot of the year: Gauff caught another gear in Miami.

Her world-class defense and movement were on display in this point against Sorana Cirstea, sprinting from one end of the court to the other to get to everything Cirstea could throw at her. After Cirstea pounded Gauff deep into the corner, she subsequently dumped her return over the net, with Gauff positioned deep behind the baseline. But Gauff got to the short ball and ripped a backhand pass for the winner. 

WTA Finals breakdown

Appearances (including 2026): 5

Overall W-L: 7-8

Best result: 2024 champion

What she’s chasing: Gauff had gone title-less through August, but in Cincinnati she got a much-needed trophy. In a season where she didn't win a major, a second WTA Finals title would be a satisfying finish to another excellent campaign. If she wins a second WTA Finals, she would become just the second active player, along with Serena Williams, to win the year-end tournament multiple times. To accomplish that before her 23rd birthday would be remarkable.