Linda Noskova bests Gauff to reach WTA Finals semis, Americans battle for second spot

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA Linda Noskova became the first to qualify for the semifinal round of the 2026 WTA Finals, defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday. “Coco’s a big competitor, so I was ready for everything to come my way today,” said Noskova, the No. 8 seed.

“I feel like I held myself through a lot of tough situations.” Noskova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, posted a straight-sets victory to guarantee her advancement out of round-robin play. The remaining Group 1 berth will come down to Gauff or Jessica Pegula, who eliminated Marta Kostyuk from contention on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Noskova is making her WTA Finals debut after winning her first Grand Slam title in July.

She followed up her Sunday win over Kostyuk with a strong performance against Gauff, who narrowly defeated Pegula in her first round-robin match. The youngest woman to make five consecutive WTA Finals since Martina Hingis (1996-2000), the 22-year-old Gauff fell behind by a double-break in the first set and was unable to keep up with Noskova’s consistent play.