Gauff beats Pegula in three-set epic to open WTA Finals campaign

Coco Gauff opened her WTA Finals campaign with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula in Indian Wells on Sunday, grinding through a deciding set after Pegula had forced a tie-break to level the contest.

The American pair traded momentum across two hours of tennis, with Gauff needing to dig out a crucial hold at 4-4 in the opening set from 0-40 down before eventually closing out the decider in straight games.

Former world No 9 Andrea Petkovic, speaking on the Big T Podcast, said she was struck by Gauff's reaction after missing a forehand return off a strong Pegula first serve at 6-5 in the second set. Petkovic said she watched Gauff turn, clap and mouth the words "That was a good serve" about her opponent's delivery.

"I had a great seat next to Garbine Muguruza, tournament director here, and I saw one thing with Coco, and I was like, 'Man, that's why she's so good,'" Petkovic said, adding that the moment offered "such an insight into her mind" given most players, herself included, would have reacted with frustration rather than acknowledgement of a good serve.

Brad Gilbert, who coached Gauff during her 2023 US Open title run and has also worked with Andre Agassi and Andy Murray, pointed to her recovery from 5-1 down in the second set as evidence of her resilience, and suggested fitness could prove decisive across the tournament given the heat in Indian Wells and the demands of a long Asian swing many players had just completed.

The match followed a turbulent build-up for Pegula, after a private conversation with her coach Mark Knowles was picked up by courtside microphones during practice sessions last week, as reported by Tennis365. In the exchange, Pegula described Mirra Andreeva as a "diva" and suggested the Russian would be "better" than Gauff if she had Gauff's mentality.

The WTA removed the YouTube footage once the comments surfaced, but clips had already circulated widely on social media. Pegula's agent said she had been "completely unaware" the conversation could be overheard, and the tour subsequently accepted responsibility for the breach.

"The WTA takes full responsibility for failing to inform our players and their teams that microphones, in place to give fans a livestream of the players' practice, were active on the courts at the WTA Finals," the organisation said in a statement reported by Tennis365. "We sincerely apologise for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed."

Pegula contacted both Andreeva and Gauff to apologise before the footage became public. Speaking after her win over Pegula, Gauff said: "Jess, she told me – before I even saw the video – she came and apologised, immediately. I felt like maybe the other person in the situation (Andreeva) got a lot more of it (smiles). But she (Pegula), even her coach, apologised to me."

Gauff's former coach Brad Gilbert also criticised the WTA's handling of the episode, though the full extent of his remarks was not detailed.

The victory gives Gauff an early foothold in round-robin play as she chases a second WTA Finals title in Indian Wells, with Pegula now needing results elsewhere in the group to keep her own hopes alive.