Gauff beats Pegula to join Swiatek at the top of the Orange Group in the WTA Finals

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – World No. 3 Coco Gauff joined No. 2 Iga Swiatek at the top of the Orange Group after defeating No. 6 Jessica Pegula in her opening match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh presented by PIF defeated 6:3, 6:2. The win is Gauff's 20th career top 10 and first on hardcourt since the WTA Finals in Cancun last year.

Gauff faces Swiatek on Tuesday, with the winner taking control of the Orange Group. Pegula meets Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.

WTA finals Riyadh: results | Schedule | Ranking

Gauff went into her opening game against Pegula as the favorite based on rank and form, but an underdog due to history. Pegula won four of their five previous meetings, including the last three. Both Americans experienced an upswing in the second half of the season. Pegula mastered the North American hard court season with a title in Toronto and two consecutive finals in Cincinnati and the US Open.

But Gauff coasted through the regular season, winning the China Open, claiming her second WTA 1000 title and reaching the semifinals in Wuhan the following week. This run secured the 20-year-old's place in her third WTA final in a row. Since the round-robin format was reintroduced in 2003, she is only the second player, joining Maria Sharapova (2004–07), to reach three or more consecutive WTA finals before the age of 21.

“I think maybe I served better than I used to, and I think this is the first time we've competed indoors, so maybe that has something to do with it,” Gauff said.

“I don't know it. I think I know I've lost to her a lot, but sometimes it doesn't feel like that because we train a lot, and when we play, of course sometimes I win practice sets.” Sometimes she does. So it doesn't feel as bad as it was.

In faster conditions that seem to favor Pegula, Gauff was the one who proved more effective from the ground. She doubled Pegula in the winning column, hitting 16 to Pegula's 8 and putting sustained pressure on Pegula's serve. Gauff created eight break chances in the 75-minute game and converted five of them. Pegula only managed two breaks from three chances.

“I just felt kind of uncomfortable,” Pegula said. “I didn't feel like I was necessarily hitting the ball that badly, just making a few extra mistakes. Against someone like that, who obviously had a really good fall even after the Open, she feels confident, so you can just do it. “I really don't miss those moments.”

“I thought we were both playing at a high level,” Gauff said. “I just think I’ve made a breakthrough on the more important points.”

Next up for Gauff is the 13th meeting of his career against Swiatek. The Polish player defeated Krejcikova after a set and a loss in her opening match to secure her first win since the US Open. Swiatek has a confident 11:1 head-to-head record against Gauff.

Pegula will look to bounce back against Krejcikova. It will be their first meeting in Dubai since 2023. They split their previous two meetings.

“I played well all week, so I know it’s there,” Pegula said. “I just have to put my head down, look forward to the next game and really try, and I think I kind of have to put more energy into the next game. I just felt a little flat today.”