Gauff outruns Pegula to win thriller at WTA Finals, Noskova beats Kostyuk

Coco Gauff celebrates after winning her WTA Finals group stage match against Jessica Pegula in Indian Wells, California, on Sunday. | REUTERS

Nov 9, 2026

Coco Gauff shredded her shoes but stayed one step ahead of Jessica Pegula to defeat her compatriot 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2 on the first day of the WTA Finals at Indian Wells on Sunday, while Czech Linda Noskova got the better of Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-4.

Gauff had beaten Pegula three months ago in Cincinnati and had the right formula once again, as the 2024 winner showed superb versatility in a round-robin clash between the top two Americans in the season-ending championship.

The frequent rivals were 5-5 in their head-to-head record before Sunday and appeared perfectly matched through a tight opening set, where Gauff got the break from the baseline on the fourth set point.

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