Gauff rallies past Pegula to open WTA Finals campaign with win

Coco Gauff began her WTA Finals campaign with a three-set win over fellow American Jessica Pegula, recovering from a poor start to the second set to take the match 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 in Indian Wells.

The 22-year-old, who won the Finals in 2024, said she was proud to get through despite having had no preparation for the tournament. Her previous event was the China Open in early October.

Pegula surged to a 5-1 lead in the second set, but Gauff won the next three games. Pegula then saved a match point and took the set in a tie-break. Gauff dominated the decider, winning its first three games before sealing victory on her third match point.

Gauff said she had tried to play aggressively against an opponent she described as “an incredible player”. She has won one title this year, beating Pegula in the Cincinnati final in August. Pegula, 32, has won tournaments in Dubai and Charleston and reached the semi-finals at the Australian and US Opens.

Gauff’s next opponent is Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Marta Kostyuk. The Finals feature the top eight players of the season. World number one Elena Rybakina withdrew on Saturday because of illness, and Kostyuk took her place.