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The American opened the tournament with a hard-fought win over her compatriot Jessica Pegula, 6:4, 6:7, 6:2. Gauff was trailing 1:5 in the second set but won five games in a row and had a match point, which she failed to convert.

She won the Cincinnati tournament this season, her only title of the year, although she has often reached the later rounds of tournaments. Coco has won the WTA Finals before, in 2024, and is capable of doing it again. She is ranked fourth in the world. Consistency has been lacking for the American this season, but she certainly has plenty left in the tank.

The Czech is making her WTA Finals debut and got off to a winning start, beating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6:2, 6:4. Noskova was originally due to face world No. 1 Elena Rybakina in her opening match, but her opponent withdrew from the tournament.

Based on her first match, Linda did not look to be at her best; she won because she made fewer unforced errors, rather than because she played better. The Czech turns 22 on November 17 and could give herself a wonderful birthday present by winning such a prestigious tournament. But there are plenty of tough matches ahead against the world’s top players.

The players have met three times, with the American leading 2:1. Gauff won their first matches back in 2023, while Noskova claimed victory this season.

These players are roughly evenly matched and both made winning starts to the tournament. Victory would put one of them top of the group and significantly boost her chances of progressing. I expect an exciting, closely fought contest, with the American a slight favorite. My pick is over 20.5 total games.

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The Ukrainian battled for a long time to qualify for the WTA Finals, but arrived as an alternate. Her chance came quickly: Rybakina withdrew before the opening round, giving Kostyuk the opportunity to take on Czech player Linda Noskova.

Kostyuk looked underprepared, made unforced errors and struggled to find her rhythm, eventually losing in straight sets, 2:6, 4:6. She is ranked a career-high 10th in the world. Kostyuk had been dealing with a wrist problem, which may partly explain her sluggish start at such an important tournament—but she still has a chance to turn things around.

In recent seasons, the American has shown everyone that she is not just a billionaire’s daughter, but also a top-level athlete. Pegula may not be the most naturally gifted player, but no one can question her work ethic. She is ranked a lofty fifth in the world, although she has yet to win a Grand Slam title.

Pegula opened the WTA Finals against fellow American Coco Gauff. It was surely an entertaining match for the fans, but Jessica lost in three sets, 4:6, 7:6, 2:6. The second set was a real roller coaster: Pegula led 5:1 in games, then found herself trailing 5:6 and saved a match point before snatching the set in a tiebreak.

The American leads their head-to-head 4:3, although the players have met twice this season and Kostyuk won both matches.

The American is a slight favorite in this matchup, though Kostyuk is at least her equal in terms of ability. Pegula’s advantages are that the tournament is being played on home soil and that she prepared specifically for this event, while the Ukrainian did not even know whether she would be competing. I think Kostyuk is being clearly underrated ahead of this match, so I’m backing her with a +3.5-game handicap.