Gauff Opens WTA Finals With Win Over Pegula
Coco Gauff began her 2026 WTA Finals campaign with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 victory over fellow American Jessica Pegula at Indian Wells on Sunday.
The fourth seed needed two hours and 39 minutes to overcome Pegula in their Group 1 round-robin encounter, improving her head-to-head record against her compatriot to 6-5.
Gauff Holds Her Nerve In Three-Set Battle
Playing her first match in more than a month, Gauff showed composure under pressure to take the opening set. She saved three break points while serving at 4-4 before breaking Pegula in the following game to move ahead.
Pegula responded strongly in the second set, racing to a 5-1 lead. However, Gauff won five consecutive games and earned a match point at 6-5. Pegula fought back in the tiebreak, producing a forehand return winner to level the match.
Gauff regained control in the decider, winning the first three games and building a 5-2 advantage. A missed overhead from Pegula gave her two more match points, and she sealed the contest on her third opportunity.
“I was having a lot of fun today,” Gauff said after the match. She added that staying aggressive while covering the court well had been key to her performance.
Noskova Up Next For Gauff
Gauff, who won the WTA Finals in 2024, will next face eighth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Noskova opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over alternate Marta Kostyuk. Kostyuk replaced world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, who withdrew from the season-ending tournament because of a viral illness.
Kostyuk will now face Pegula, with both players looking to recover from opening-match defeats.
Indian Wells Hosts Season-End Championships
The WTA Finals moved to Indian Wells this year after the event’s previous home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was changed amid instability in the Middle East. The tournament had been held in Riyadh since 2024.
The season-ending championships are scheduled to move to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2027.
