Gauff improved to 5-4 against Sabalenka and ended a two-match losing streak including the Wuhan semifinals and the Australian Open semifinals. Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open and U.S. Open titles, ends the year at No. 1.

The 20-year-old American superstar entered the WTA Finals as the World No. 3. She defeated the top two players, one-seed Aryna Sabalenka and two-seed Iga Swiatek, before eventually knocking off Qinwen Zheng, in the finals to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Krejcikova beat Gauff to seal a semifinal ticket at the WTA Finals and prevent Swiatek from making the knockout stage.