WTA Finals
Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolína Muchová 7-6(2), 7-5 and Mirra Andreeva beat Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0 on Monday 9 November, as Group 2 started at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. After Coco Gauff and Linda Nosková won on day one, all four higher seeds have now won their opening matches.
Sabalenka Ends Muchová’s Tie-Break Run
Muchová arrived with two records worth protecting: at 3-2, she was the only player in the field with a winning head-to-head against Sabalenka, and she had won every tie-break she had played in 2026. Both went on Monday. Muchová broke to lead twice in the first set, at 3-2 and 5-4, and Sabalenka broke straight back each time. Muchová saved two set points to force a tie-break, but two forehand errors handed it to Sabalenka 7-2.
Sabalenka moved ahead in the second set and was broken when she first served for the match at 5-4, but she broke again immediately and served it out at the second attempt, after an hour and 53 minutes. It was her fifth straight winning start at the WTA Finals, she has now won 11 of 11 matches at the event after taking the first set, and she leads the tour with 13 tie-break wins this season.
Andreeva Wins the Last Seven Games
Andreeva, 19, made a winning singles debut at the event by taking the last seven games against Svitolina, the 2018 champion, to win 6-4, 6-0 in 70 minutes. It avenged her loss to Svitolina at the Australian Open in January and gave her a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head. The age gap between them, 12 years and 229 days, was the largest in a match at the year-end championships since Venus Williams played Caroline Garcia in 2017.
It is only the fourth time since the round-robin format returned in 2003 that all four higher seeds have won their opening matches, after 2009, 2012 and 2024.
The Groups After Two Days
| Group 1 | W-L | Group 2 | W-L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coco Gauff | 1-0 | Aryna Sabalenka | 1-0 |
| Linda Nosková | 1-0 | Mirra Andreeva | 1-0 |
| Jessica Pegula | 0-1 | Elina Svitolina | 0-1 |
| Marta Kostyuk | 0-1 | Karolína Muchová | 0-1 |
The top two in each group reach the semi-finals.
Group 1 Could Be Settled Tonight
Group 1 plays its second round on Tuesday 10 November, with Kostyuk against Pegula at 8pm UK time, followed by Gauff against Nosková. According to the WTA, the scenarios are:
- Nosková reaches the semi-finals if she beats Gauff in straight sets.
- If Nosková and Kostyuk both win, Nosková goes through as group winner, Pegula is out, and Kostyuk and Gauff play for second place on Thursday.
- If Gauff and Pegula both win, Gauff goes through as group winner, Kostyuk is out, and Nosková and Pegula play for second place on Thursday.
- Kostyuk is out if she loses to Pegula in straight sets.
Group 2 continues on Wednesday 11 November, with Svitolina against Muchová at 8pm UK time, followed by Sabalenka against Andreeva, the match between the two group leaders. The WTA Finals are live on Sky Sports Tennis and NOW in the UK; our live-stream guide has the details.