Pegula earned her place in the knockout stages by picking up victories against Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk, while Mirra Andreeva is the only player with a perfect record so far having won matches against Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina.
Andreeva and Pegula were embroiled in controversy when the American was picked up on hot mic criticising the Roland Garros champion’s actions during a practice session.
Pegula famously called Andreeva a ‘diva’, which has since been brushed off by both women, with the American apologising for her overheard words.
Looking ahead to their clash at the WTA Finals, Pegula said: “The story writes itself. This is the match people wanted, and you’re going to get it. She’s playing very well. I saw her play Sabalenka. She’s such an efficient player, she moves efficiently, she’s fast.
“I think she has a great serve, she’s strong, she hits the ball pretty hard and she’s smart. You can see how she makes her tennis so efficient against Sabalenka. I’ll do my best.
“It’s crazy that we’ve practiced together twice and never played each other. It’s a weird feeling knowing we’ll face each other for the first time at the WTA Finals. That doesn’t happen very often. It’ll be a good match.”
Andreeva is playing in her first-ever WTA Finals, having narrowly missed out on qualification during the 2025 season.
She has taken to the tournament like a duck to water and she will play her final round-robin match against Karolina Muchova with little pressure, having already been confirmed to top her group.
Pegula, meanwhile, is playing in her fifth straight WTA Finals. She reached the semifinals last season too and in 2023 she lost in the final to Iga Swiatek.
There is plenty on the line for both Andreeva and Pegula at this tournament, as they could end their season by earning a ranking achievement.
Andreeva could become the world No. 2 if Aryna Sabalenka does not qualify for the knockout stages, while a win for Pegula at the tournament will also see her become the world No 2.
Pegula’s career ranking high is world No 3, while Andreeva is the current world No 3, which is a career ranking high too. Both women have already earned 400 ranking points for their exploits at the 2026 WTA Finals.
Andreeva and Pegula’s tantalising semifinal clash is set for Saturday, 14th November, with the order of play yet to be confirmed by the WTA Finals organisers.
