For years the photograph of all eight qualifiers has opened WTA Finals week. Indian Wells has no such frame this year, and three of the tournament’s biggest names, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Aryna Sabalenka, have turned the gap into a joke.
The WTA published its pre-tournament portraits on Friday, two days before play begins at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. This year’s shoot dropped the traditional gowns and the full-field image, photographing the qualifiers under a “Courtside Couture” concept by Anna Webber with stylist Danyul Brown. Within hours, Gauff, Rybakina, and Sabalenka had collaborated on a video, shared by the Belarusian.
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The clip depicted Gauff and Rybakina raising the question of a group shot before Sabalenka humorously indicated that there was no time for “stupid questions.” The trio then delightedly posed together, showing off their stylish outfits.
The WTA has presented the change as a creative decision, calling the portraits a “fresh, personality-driven approach” celebrating each qualifier’s individuality and story. However, reports have emerged that Elina Svitolina told the WTA she would not pose with Mirra Andreeva and Sabalenka, given her longstanding refusal to pose with Russian and Belarusian players since the Russia-Ukraine war began. The WTA has not confirmed that account.
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka assess their WTA Finals openers
Coco Gauff meets Jessica Pegula in Sunday’s second singles match at the WTA Finals, marking the 11th meeting between the two Americans. The head-to-head is 5-5, and Gauff claimed a 6-2, 6-4 victory in their most recent meeting in the Cincinnati Open final. In her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff addressed the difficulty of facing a familiar opponent and highlighted the mental challenge.
“I think it’s more complicated in a sense. I mean, obviously it’s good to play someone that you already faced before. I mean, new matchups are always difficult. But I feel like when you get to the point where you’ve played someone so many times, that’s where it becomes really more difficult, just because of the fact that you got to capitalize on the things you do well, but also know they’re going to change things, vice versa,” Coco Gauff said.
“We know each other’s games. I feel like tennis is already mental. When you play somebody so many times, it becomes even more mental because you’re both trying to figure out to go away from your own patterns, because they know your patterns,” she added.
Aryna Sabalenka opens on Monday against Karolina Muchova, the only player in the field with a winning record against her. Muchova leads 3-2, though the World No. 2 won their only 2026 meeting, securing a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in Brisbane. While speaking to the press, Sabalenka praised the Czech’s variety and touch, describing her as a “tricky” player.
“She’s an amazing player. She really has variety in the game, approaches the net, great touch. We had a lot of great, tough battles, close matches. She’s very challenging, moving well, heavy strokes, great serving, approaches the net. She’s a tricky player to face. I always enjoy playing against her,” she said.
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka feature in different groups at the WTA Finals, so they can only meet in the semifinals or the final. Gauff, the 2024 champion, is in Group 1 with Rybakina, Pegula and Linda Noskova, while Sabalenka heads Group 2 alongside Andreeva, Svitolina and Muchova.
Edited by Urvi Mehra
