Unforced errors tell the real story behind the WTA finals worth
Intro: What Are We Really Watching?
Coco Gauff lifted the WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh on November 9th, closing out the 2024 season in style.
But here’s the uncomfortable question:
Was this actually top‑level tennis, or just the end of a very long year?
Because when you look beyond the headlines and dig into the data, the WTA Finals tell a very different story from the Grand Slams—and it all comes down to mistakes.
Why Unforced Errors Matter
An unforced error is simple:
A point lost because of your own mistake, not because your opponent hit something brilliant.
And this is why unforced errors matter so much:
- They measure focus
- They reveal fatigue
- They expose decision‑making under pressure
When you combine unforced errors with winners, you get the clearest picture of performance quality we have in modern tennis.
Grand Slams: The Gold Standard
Let’s start with context.
At the four Grand Slams in 2024, even in finals, the error counts stayed surprisingly controlled.
Combined unforced errors in the finals:
- Australian Open: 30
- French Open: 31
- Wimbledon (three sets): 60
- US Open: 56
That’s elite tennis. High intensity, high pressure, low margin for error.
Even in long matches, the best players raised their level.
Now Compare That to Riyadh
WTA Finals 2024. Three‑set final.
Unforced errors:
- Qinwen Zheng: 64
- Coco Gauff: 44
- Total: 108
That’s nearly double the error count of a typical Grand Slam final.
Same players. Same surface. Completely different standard.
Season Averages Tell the Story
Across the 2024 season, these were the average unforced errors per match:
- Iga Świątek: 20.7
- Aryna Sabalenka: 24.4
- Qinwen Zheng: 24.8
- Elena Rybakina: 26.4
- Coco Gauff: 28.9
Now compare that to the Riyadh final.
Zheng made 40 more errors than her seasonal average.
Gauff made over 15 more.
That’s not marginal. That’s massive.
Winners vs Errors: Who Gets It Right?
Elite tennis comes down to balance.
About 70% of matches are won by the player who hits more winners.
But about 75% of matches are won by the player who makes fewer unforced errors.
That’s why Aryna Sabalenka ended the year as world number one.
In 2024:
- Winners: 1,925
- Unforced errors: 1,583
A positive differential of plus 342.
That’s dominance through control.
Coco Gauff, by contrast, had nearly 300 more unforced errors than winners by early November—explaining her inconsistent season and mid‑year coaching change.
Big Matches, Big Contrasts
Let’s rewind to the 2023 US Open final.
Sabalenka vs Gauff.
- Gauff: 19 unforced errors
- Sabalenka: 46
Gauff didn’t out‑hit her—she out‑lasted her.
Fast‑forward to the WTA Finals semi‑final in Riyadh.
Same matchup.
- Sabalenka: 47 errors in two sets
- Gauff: 27
History repeated itself.
Qinwen Zheng: The Biggest Red Flag
The Riyadh final was statistically Qinwen Zheng’s worst match of the season.
At the Australian Open final:
- Zheng: 16 unforced errors
- Sabalenka: 14
Even if that match went three sets, Zheng wouldn’t have come close to 64.
Her longest, messiest match of the year—on clay at Roland Garros—produced 57 errors.
Riyadh topped that.
Same player. Same season. Completely different level.
So What Does This Really Mean?
The WTA Finals are a celebration.
They are prestigious.
They are entertaining.
But statistically, they are not peak tennis.
By November:
- Players are exhausted
- Bodies are breaking down
- Focus drops
- Errors rise
What we’re seeing isn’t the best version of these athletes—it’s the last version.
Final Takeaway
The narrative says the WTA Finals showcase the best tennis of the year.
The data says otherwise.
Grand Slams remain the gold standard because players arrive:
- Fresher
- Sharper
- Hungrier
- More disciplined
Winning tennis isn’t about hitting harder.
It’s about missing less.
That’s the balance players and coaches must manage heading into 2025.
Stay healthy. Play aggressive. Control the errors.
That’s where titles are really won.