Coco Gauff began her 2026 WTA Finals campaign with an impressive victory over fellow American Jessica Pegula. Gauff won the opening round-robin match 6-4, 6-7 and 6-2 at Indian Wells in California. The contest lasted two hours and 39 minutes and featured several changes in momentum before Gauff took control in the deciding set.
The fourth-seeded American started strongly and won the first set after breaking Pegula’s serve late in the contest. Pegula responded in the second set and built a 5-1 lead, putting herself in a strong position to level the match. Gauff refused to give up and won five games in a row, moving close to a straight-set victory. Pegula then saved a match point and recovered to win the tiebreak, forcing a third set.
Gauff raised her level again in the final set. She broke Pegula early and moved into a comfortable lead. Her aggressive play and movement around the court made it difficult for Pegula to regain control. Gauff eventually secured the win on her third match point, celebrating after a demanding opening test.
The victory was important because Gauff had not played a tournament match for more than a month. She said she enjoyed the contest and had to stay aggressive while covering a lot of ground. The effort was so demanding that she joked about the damage to her shoes after the match.
The result also continued Gauff’s strong record against Pegula. The two players have met several times at the WTA Finals, and their matches have often been close. Their familiarity with each other’s games made the opening contest especially competitive.
In another Group 1 match, Czech player Linda Noskova defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-4. Kostyuk entered the tournament as a late replacement after world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew because of illness. Noskova controlled the match and made a successful start to her first WTA Finals appearance.
Gauff will now prepare for her next group match against Noskova. The American will be hoping to build on her opening win and move closer to securing a place in the semi-finals.
