The Indian Wells Tennis Garden played host to a picture-perfect opening to the WTA Finals Sunday, welcoming players and fans with ideal fall conditions and an electric atmosphere inside a sold-out Stadium 2 for Day 1 of action.

Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula also played their part, engaging in a pulsating three-setter to deliver a memorable match on the opening day. Gauff, the 2024 WTA Finals champion, won the match in three sets and later connected with rapper Gunna.

Commentators and fans alike gave the opening day a big thumbs-up.

Leading tennis journalist and CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim tweeted: That's a hell of a crowd - and a hell of a setting - for an audibled year-end event, in a nod to the effort to stage the season finale in Indian Wells at relatively short notice.

Responding to the post, Mark Kovacs, who is preparing Frances Tiafoe for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, wrote: Fantastic decision to play in Stadium 2. Fantastic court and having full stadiums is so much better for the players and the fans.

High-profile tennis fan LaWanda posted: For those of us here, stadium 2 was the right choice.

Former World No. 1 doubles player and commentator Rennae Stubbs wrote: Great to see a full crowd out there in the desert. They love their tennis in Indian Wells. Nice destinations make all the difference for fans.

In response, Dave Jones posted: Court 2 is one of our faves

Photos: Jared Wickerham

Fans and players enjoyed pleasantly warm and sunny conditions, which for the first half of the tournament are forecast to approximate conditions more typical of March, when the BNP Paribas Open is held.

Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who defeated Marta Kostyuk in the first match of the tournament, said that she felt right at home on Stadium 2 in her first visit back to Indian Wells since reaching the semi-finals earlier this year.

"I tried to channel the energy that I had, especially from my quarter-final when I won my first-ever match on this court," Noskova told Tennis Channel. "It's a completely different month, a completely different tournament and a different occasion [but] It's Indian Wells, I love it here."

Players had already expressed their excitement about Indian Wells hosting the WTA Finals during their pre-event media conferences. "It's always such a beautiful place. You can't help but love playing with this backdrop and the beautiful weather," Pegula said.

"I'm very excited to make my debut [and] the fact that it's happening in Indian Wells, I think, is also like a cherry on top," Kostyuk said.

Aryna Sabalenka won her first BNP Paribas Open title in March and now hopes to lift her first WTA Finals trophy at the same venue. "I'm super happy to be back at Indian Wells," she said. "A lot of great memories, especially this season... I hope Indian Wells will keep being perfect for me."

If you can't make it to WTA Finals this week, be sure to make plans to visit Tennis Paradise for the 2027 BNP Paribas Open from Feb. 27-Mar. 14.