The first-ever combined WTA and ATP 500 tournament at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington will conclude on Sunday night with a match between Coco Gauff v Maria Sakkari. It will also be the biggest title of their careers so far in both cases and begins their US Open swing campaigns firmly in form.

Road to the final wise Sakkari has seen off Leylah Fernandez, Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula so some of the best American and Canadian talent on offer. She only dropped a set against Pegula in the semi-finals and has looked superb all week. This was also a week that she proved many wrong as she hit out at critics for semi-final defeats and also her lack of titles.

It would be a first title since Rabat in 2019 with Sakkari being the model of consistency on tour without the rewards that her efforts have deserved. It will be her eighth career final with six runner-ups so far and is her first since losing to Pegula last year in Guadalajara.

For Gauff, it is the first final with Brad Gilbert in her corner, and has reaped immediate rewards. She has seen off Hailey Baptiste, Belinda Bencic and Liudmila Samsonova en route to the final. Not dropping a set and being comprehensive in all her wins this week.

It is a fifth career final and could be her second title of the year. She last won back in Auckland in January but this would represent the first WTA 500 crown to add to her collection. Triumphing at Linz, Emilia-Romagna and Auckland, she admits the first WTA 500 win isn't something she paid much attention to pre tournament.

“It’s something that honestly I didn’t really think about it (before this week started),” Gauff said of advancing to the final. “Like, a win is a win — but also, in the same point, yeah, it’s cool. I did say at the beginning of this year that I wanted to do better in these 500 and 1000-level tournaments. I know I made the semis in Dubai and semis in Berlin, so I’m happy to finally get through to the final.”

But despite the final wins meaning that Gauff is favoured, Sakkari owns a comprehensive 4-1 record over her. Their most recent meeting was in Rome back in 2022 which was won by Sakkari 6-4, 7-5. In terms of sets even, Sakkari has won nine to two of Gauff over their meetings. Many will feel that eventually Sakkari will get over this final hoodoo, but will it be today or will Gauff add to her growing title haul?