Coco Gauff emerged victorious in her first match at the 2026 WTA Finals.
The American superstar, a two-time major champion, defeated compatriot Jessica Pegula for the second time at the WTA Finals.
It was a story of missed opportunities for Pegula, who had break-point openings at 4-4 in the first set and led 5-2 in the second before losing the contest 6-4, 6-7, 6-2.
Gauff can now look ahead to contests against Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk, who replaced an unwell Elena Rybakina in the draw.
Coco Gauff entered the WTA Finals with no recent matchplay preparation
“I was having a lot of fun today,” Gauff said during her post-match interview. “I took a little break⊠first match in like a month, I think.
“To play a tournament like this with no preparation is something I’ve never done in my career, but I’m just really happy to get through today.”
Prior to the WTA Finals, Gauff last competed in the China Open at the start of October. The American star was beaten by Elise Mertens in the third round.
“It was a tough match, I think it was like two and a half hours, and I feel like it was every point was â I don’t know if you guys were holding my breath â but me too,” Gauff said of her triumph against Pegula in California. “So, just happy to be through, I’m really proud of myself for this one.”
Gauff went on to praise her opponent’s game, noting the decisive factor in determining the victor.
“Jess is an incredible player. We always go back and forth,” Gauff, who now has a 6-5 record against Pegula, said of her compatriot. “She does really great ball striking, she keeps the ball low when she’s really aggressive. So I think today the key was just trying to be aggressive.
Gauff was certainly aggressive on her serve during Sunday’s contest, winning 67 per cent of her first-serve points and serving four aces.
“But I also had to run a lot,” Gauff continued. My shoes are pretty torn up now. Some of my shoes⊠like somewhere on the court there. So I’m gonna have to change shoes tomorrow.”
|
Statistical area |
Coco Gauff |
Jessica Pegula |
|
First-serves won [%] |
67 |
60 |
|
Second-serves won [%] |
50 |
42 |
|
Winners |
24 |
30 |
|
Unforced errors |
41 |
55 |
|
Forced errors |
35 |
39 |
|
Total points |
119 |
106 |
|
Break-points won |
7/16 |
4/11 |
Coco Gauff vs Jessica Pegula at the 2026 WTA Finals
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula near WTA record
According to statisticians OptaAce, only three duos have played five matches against each other at the WTA Finals.
Those duos are: Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, Agnieszka RadwaĆska, and Kim Clijsters and Elena Dementieva.
Gauff and Pegula have now played each other four times at the WTA Finals.
Coco Gauff vs Jessica Pegula at the WTA Finals
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2023 semi-finals: Jessica Pegula defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-1
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2024 group stage: Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2
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2025 group stage: Jessica Pegula defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-7, 6-2
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2026 group stage: Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
Gauff and Pegula will most likely contest their next matches at the WTA Finals on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Aryna Sabalenka will play Karolina Muchova, and Mirra Andreeva will face Elina Svitolina.
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Esta notĂcia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original