Linda Noskova bests Coco Gauff to reach WTA Finals semis, Americans battle for second spot

Linda Noskova became the first to qualify for the semifinal round of the 2026 WTA Finals, defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday.

“Coco’s a big competitor, so I was ready for everything to come my way today,” said Noskova, the No. 8 seed. “I feel like I held myself through a lot of tough situations.”

Noskova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, posted a straight-sets victory to guarantee her advancement out of round-robin play. The remaining Group 1 berth will come down to Gauff or Jessica Pegula, who eliminated Marta Kostyuk from contention on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Noskova is making her WTA Finals debut after winning her first Grand Slam title in July. She followed up her Sunday win over Kostyuk with a strong performance against Gauff, who narrowly defeated Pegula in her first round-robin match.

The youngest woman to make five consecutive WTA Finals since Martina Hingis (1996-2000), the 22-year-old Gauff fell behind by a double-break in the first set and was unable to keep up with Noskova’s consistent play.

Noskova won five games in a row to earn a set and 3-0 lead and struck her ninth ace on match point.

Pegula, who finished runner-up at the WTA Finals in 2023, kept hopes of a semifinal return alive by defeating Kostyuk after two losses to the Ukrainian this season. Kostyuk was a late alternate to the eight-woman field following World No. 1 Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal due to a viral illness.

Despite having no chance to advance to the semifinals, Kostyuk will play Gauff on Thursday for the opportunity to avoid an 0-3 round-robin record and to earn an additional $230,000 in prize money. The final Group 1 standings will be determined by Thursday’s results.