WTA Finals 2026 Preview: Kostyuk Replaces Rybakina at Indian Wells

Rybakina out, Kostyuk in

Elena Rybakina, the 2025 champion, withdrew from the WTA Finals on 7 November 2026 because of a medical issue. Marta Kostyuk takes her place in Group 1.

Rybakina was No. 1 in the WTA Race. Kostyuk was No. 10 in the Race before this week's points, on 3,910 points, and is in the field in place of Rybakina.

Format, points and prize money

The season-ending championship is played at Indian Wells Tennis Garden from 8 November 2026 to 15 November 2026, with 8 singles players. They are split into two groups of four and each plays the other three. The top two in each group reach the semifinals, and the semifinal winners play the final.

A round-robin win is worth 200 ranking points, a semifinal win 400 and a final win 500. An undefeated champion earns 1,500 points. The total prize money is 10,000,000 US dollars.

The groups and the Race standings

Group 1 is Marta Kostyuk, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova. Group 2 is Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova.

Before this week's points in the WTA Race of 2 November 2026, Aryna Sabalenka was No. 2 with 6,485 points and Mirra Andreeva No. 3 with 6,306. Coco Gauff was No. 4 with 5,763, Jessica Pegula No. 5 with 5,760, Elina Svitolina No. 6 with 5,121, Karolina Muchova No. 7 with 4,665 and Linda Noskova No. 8 with 4,343.

Group 1 openers on 8 November

Marta Kostyuk plays Linda Noskova on 8 November in Group 1. The betting market makes Noskova a 56% favourite, and Noskova leads the head-to-head 2–1 in our match records.

Noskova averaged 6.9 aces per match in 2026 against a tour average of 2.8, and won 80.3% of her service games. Kostyuk won 74.1% of her service games and 42.9% of her return games, against Noskova's 31.4% on return.

Coco Gauff plays Jessica Pegula on the same day. The betting market makes Gauff a 59% favourite, and the head-to-head in our match records is level at 5–5.

Gauff won 43% of her return games in 2026 and 71% of her service games. Pegula won 76% of her service games and 37.6% of her return games.

Recent finals

Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6–3 7–6(0) in the 2025 final. In 2024, Gauff beat Qinwen Zheng 3–6 6–4 7–6(2) in the final.

In 2023, Iga Swiatek beat Pegula 6–1 6–0 in the final. Gauff and Pegula, who meet on the opening day, are both in this year's Group 1.

Group 2 numbers

Sabalenka won 81.5% of her service games in 2026 with 5.1 aces per match. Andreeva won 74.8% of her service games and 43% of her return games.

Svitolina won 71% of her service games and 43% of her return games. Muchova won 77.4% of her service games and 33.1% of her return games, with a tour average of 34.2% on return.