Coco Gauff pays attention to what people say about her online and occasionally takes pleasure in clapping back.

On Saturday, the 20-year-old survived a three-hour thriller in the Riyadh final and edged out Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-4 7-6 (2). A couple of times during the match, the American had her back turned against the wall but managed to come back and ultimately win.

The sellout crowd was bathed in purple light and the screens ringing the stadium flashed a countdown to a clubby beat. The latest conquest in Saudi Arabia’s unstoppable advance into the world of sports — soccer,