Noskova handles Kostyuk in the WTA Finals opener at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- By the time Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk made their WTA Finals debuts on Sunday, they’d already faced each other on clay, grass and hard courts this season. Noskova had won the last two meetings, at Wimbledon and the US Open, and she made it three in a row at Indian Wells with a 6-2, 6-4 win to open Group 1 play.

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Kostyuk, ranked No. 10, had come to Indian Wells as an alternate and learned only on Saturday that she would play, after defending champion and World No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew with a viral illness. A right wrist injury had kept Kostyuk out of the Billie Jean King Cup final in September, and she arrived in Indian Wells on a five-match losing streak, the second-longest of her career.

It took Kostyuk a while to find her range. She put a forehand into the net on the opening point of the match and sent another wide on break point. She broke straight back, but Noskova took her serve again and became the first to hold, going up 3-1 on her way to a 6-2 first set in 31 minutes. Kostyuk was steadier in the second, but Noskova broke for a 4-2 lead and held serve the rest of the way.

Noskova is 21 and ranked No. 8. She reached the Top 10 in June, won Wimbledon in July and clinched the Billie Jean King Cup for Czechia in September. She is also the third-youngest Czech to win a match at the WTA Finals since the event began in 1972, older only than Helena Sukova and Petra Kvitova. 

For Noskova, her numbers this year are among the best on tour.

• 41 tour-level wins, a career high that passes the 40 she had in 2025.
• Sunday was her fifth win over a Top 10 player this season, which ties her best for a year.
• Won 24 matches since the grass season began in June, level with Alexandra Eala for the most.
• Won her past 37 matches after taking the first set, counting Billie Jean King Cup play.

Noskova's next two round-robin matches will come against Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. She has beaten Pegula in three of their four meetings, and her last win over Gauff came on the clay in Madrid.