Pegula Defeats Gauff in WTA Finals Opener, Claims Best Tennis of Career at 31

Jessica Pegula defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 today in opening round-robin action at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showcasing a level of play her coach calls the best of her career.

The No. 5-seeded Pegula, 31, overcame a challenge from the 21-year-old Gauff, the youngest player in the field, in a match that lasted nearly three hours and featured 17 double faults from Gauff. “I was a little bit of a late-bloomer,” Pegula said. “I feel like the success I’ve had, it’s different when you’re having this much success at a young age… By the time you hit 30, you’ve had 10 years of that. That is like five extra years that I haven’t had to do.” This victory marks Pegula’s 25th win against a Top 10 opponent, building on her recent success against Aryna Sabalenka in Wuhan.

Gauff, the defending WTA Finals champion, struggled with her serve throughout the match, being broken nine times. Despite a strong comeback in the second set, forcing a tiebreak, she ultimately couldn’t maintain momentum. The match was a rematch of the 2025 Wuhan final, which Gauff won, but Pegula noted a “little reset, a little refresh” after nearly two weeks at home in Florida prepared her for this encounter. The WTA Finals determine the year-end champion and carry significant ranking implications for the players involved.

Pegula will next face No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday, having previously defeated her last month in the Wuhan semifinals. Sabalenka earlier defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1. Co-coach Mark Knowles described Pegula as “a bit of a savage” and “an incredible competitor,” emphasizing her mental fortitude as a key to her success.