Coco Gauff Beats Marta Kostyuk but Is Eliminated From WTA Finals 2026
Coco Gauff closed out Group 1 of the Round Robin at the WTA Finals 2026 with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Marta Kostyuk, but failed to secure a spot in the semifinals after Jessica Pegula subsequently defeated Linda Noskova.
Entering the match needing a win to keep her semifinal hopes alive, the American world number four overcame physical struggles before Jessica Pegula ultimately dashed her chances in the group tiebreakers.
Gauff battled through a tense opening set and a problematic second frame where she required medical attention for a lower back issue. Kostyuk, already eliminated and dealing with a right wrist problem that required a medical timeout in the first set, capitalized on Gauff’s physical limitations to build a 5-1 lead in the second set.
The Ukrainian held three set points when leading 5-2, but failed to convert them as frustration took over. Gauff reeled off six consecutive games to claim the victory in straight sets.
AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK 😤@CocoGauff secures the win over Kostyuk in straight sets 6-4, 7-5!#FAGEWTAFinals | #TheUltimateStage pic.twitter.com/F6IU95s9MV
Marta Kostyuk arrived at the tournament at the last minute as a substitute after world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew a day before the competition began due to health problems.
Kostyuk’s campaign concluded with a much briefer run than expected, having previously suffered two defeats in the group stage, including a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Linda Noskova in her debut and a 6-2, 7-5 defeat against Jessica Pegula, marking her fifth loss overall while continuing to struggle with her service game.
Gauff’s path to the final group fixture had also been complicated by an earlier straight-sets defeat to Linda Noskova by a double 6-3, a match where the American committed eight double faults. Against Kostyuk, the context favored Gauff, though her overall performance in the tournament left more doubts than expected as she worked to regain control of her service percentages.
“Tengo un auto y cinco millones de razones para querer intentar ganar,” said Coco Gauff, speaking about the tournament’s prize money.
“Estaba bromeando. La verdad es que solo trato de competir. Es el final de la temporada, así que intento darlo todo,” added Coco Gauff. “Quizá si este partido fuera a mitad de temporada, puede que no lo hubiera terminado.”
The win left Gauff with a 2-1 group record, but Jessica Pegula’s victory over Linda Noskova forced a three-way tie decided by sets-percentage, placing Gauff third. Consequently, the 2024 champion missed out on the semifinals for the second tournament and concluded her season. Meanwhile, questions remained following the match regarding the exact extent of Gauff’s back injury and whether Jessica Pegula would ultimately fall against Linda Noskova.