Coco Gauff saw her WTA Finals campaign conclude on Thursday despite securing a victory in her final match of the tournament.
The 22-year-old American defeated Marta Kostyuk in straight sets, but her path to the semifinals was blocked after Jessica Pegula overcame Linda Noskova in three sets later that day, according to The Tennis Gazette.
Although Gauff exited the round-robin stage for the second consecutive year, she reached a significant career achievement during the event.
The win against Kostyuk marked her 40th career victory over a top-ten opponent.
This feat makes her the youngest player to reach that milestone since Maria Sharapova accomplished the same in 2009, as reported by Opta Ace.
Gauff, who is currently ranked fourth in the world, managed seven top-ten wins throughout her 2026 season.
While the year was described as an indifferent campaign, she did secure one title at the Cincinnati Open, which served as her fourth WTA 1000 crown.
The two-time Grand Slam champion navigated several lengthy campaigns at major tournaments throughout the year.
She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and experienced a third-round exit at Roland Garros.
Her performance improved significantly during the second half of the season, highlighted by her best-ever run at Wimbledon where she advanced to the semifinals.
Gauff also reached the semifinals at the US Open, though she fell to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.
Beyond her Grand Slam results, Gauff appeared in two additional WTA 1000 finals this year in Miami and Rome.
Despite the early exit in the current tournament, Yahoo Sports noted that her historic achievement underscores her continued impact on the professional tour.
Pegula will now advance to the third WTA Finals semifinal of her career, where she is set to face Mirra Andreeva.