Elina Svitolina lost her first final in the 2024 tennis season. In the decisive match of the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, the Ukrainian was defeated by American Coco Gauff.
The Auckland tournament marked Svitolina's return to competition after a four-month hiatus following her early exit in the third round of the US Open 2023. In her first tournament of the 2024 season, Svitolina secured four victories on her way to the final, including defeating Grand Slam champions Caroline Wozniacki (6:4, 6:3) and British player Emma Raducanu (6:7, 7:6, 6:1) in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively.
In the final, Elina Svitolina faced two-time Grand Slam winner and current US Open champion, Coco Gauff. This match marked the second meeting in their careers, with their first encounter at the Australian Open in 2021, where Svitolina secured victory in straight sets.
WTA 250 Auckland Final: Coco Gauff (USA, 1) vs. Elina Svitolina (Ukraine, 2) – 2:1 (6:7 (7), 6:3, 6:3)
"Playing here for the first time was truly a great experience. Congratulations to Coco on a fantastic start to the year, and I wish her luck at the Australian Open. I enjoyed my time on the court, played some great matches. Losing in the final is a tough result, of course, but I hope to secure victories throughout the year." Svitolina after the final defeat.
