INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Half of the 2026 FAGE WTA Finals knockout stage is set.
In her first appearance at the year-end event, No. 8 seed Linda Noskova topped Group 1 and will face the winner of No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 6 Elina Svitolina -- the winner will be Group 2's runner up.
Despite defeating Noskova on Thursday, No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula finishes second to the Wimbledon champ and will face Group 2 winner Mirra Andreeva for the first time in her career in Saturday's semifinals.
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Ahead of their semifinal matches on Saturday, here's Noskova's and Pegula's journeys to the final four at Indian Wells:
Linda Noskova
The group stage
Win over Kostyuk: In her first match in just over a month on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, Noskova fired on all cylinders with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Kostyuk. The win marked Noskova's third over Kostyuk to improve to 3-1 in the head-to-head, with all four meetings taking place in 2026. Noskova was given a short notice change with Elena Rybakina's withdrawal, and she handled it with ease.
Win over Gauff: Noskova couldn't have followed up her first match any better than she did in her 6-3, 6-3 win over Gauff. Delivering nine aces, Noskova was also stellar on the return game, converting 5-of-9 break-point opportunities. In both sets, set led 4-1 at one point. The win guaranteed her a spot in the semifinals of the competition, though she was strictly keeping her attention focused on her third round-robin match.
Loss to Pegula: In this Berlin final rematch, Noskova was one point away from ending Pegula's year-end campaign. A forehand error on match point in the third set extended the contest, and Noskova just fell short in a 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-5 defeat. The Czech racked up 15 double faults, but by winning the first set, she guaranteed herself by winning the group.
Quotable: "The first point for me was just to get healthy because in Asia I had some physical problems. I just wanted to get ready in this way first, and then whatever happens, happens. It was a long season. I've had a lot of matches in the last couple of months, so I felt my tennis preparation was there. I just had to be physically ready, so that was the main focus."
Best social moments:
Ranking points & prize money earned thus far at Indian Wells: With a 2-1 record, Noskova has earned $680,000 ($430,000 in match wins and $220,000 in participant fees). She has earned 400 ranking points. Her maximum prize money and points she could accrue are $3.14 million and 1300 points.
Jessica Pegula
Loss to Gauff: In a Cincinnati Open final rematch, Pegula opened her 2026 campaign in a three-set physical battle to Gauff, who won in a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 win on opening day. Pegula said when matches get really physical with Gauff, just as Sunday's, the odds tend to shift in Gauff's favor.
Win over Kostyuk: Pegula had lost both matches in 2026 to Kostyuk in straight sets, in Brisbane and Madrid, but Tuesday, Pegula ended the skid with a dominant 6-2, 7-5 bounce-back win to eliminate Kostyuk from advancing out of the group. Pegula won 76% of her first-service points, and lauded her serve as the key to victory against a strong returner like Kostyuk.
Win over Noskova: The match of the tournament thus far saw Pegula record a career-high 16 aces in the 2 hour and 45 minute victory. She fended off a valiant Noskova, who recorded 46 winners to Pegula's 35. Furthermore, she recorded her ninth top 10 win of the season and her 52nd overall, and she is through to the semifinals for the third time in five appearances at the WTA Finals.
Quotable: "The hardest part is everyone kind of knows your game, and everyone kind of knows what you're trying to do out there. When you're ranked high, everyone's coming after you, and they want to beat you. They play you a lot with nothing to lose, so that can always be very tricky. It's just a different kind of pressure, and I think just keep working on not being predictable and becoming a better player is what's given me the ability to be pretty consistent over the years."
Best social moments:
Ranking points & prize money earned thus far at Indian Wells: With a 2-1 record, Pegula has earned $680,000 ($430,000 in match wins and $220,000 in participant fees). She has earned 400 ranking points. Her maximum prize money and points she could accrue are $3.14 million and 1300 points.
