Jessica Pegula Secures Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, Earns 10th Career Title
Dubai, UAE – Jessica Pegula defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to win the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, marking her 10th WTA Tour singles title and fourth at the WTA 1000 level.
Pegula’s Path to Victory
The American fourth seed demonstrated consistent form throughout the tournament, building on strong performances in the Brisbane International and Australian Open in January where she reached the semi-finals. Her journey to the Dubai title included victories over Iva Jovic in the Round of 16, Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals and a hard-fought comeback win against Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals.
Match Recap: Pegula Overpowers Svitolina
Pegula took control of the final from the outset, securing an early double break in the first set. Despite resistance from Svitolina, she closed out the set and continued to apply pressure in the second with deep, angled hitting. Svitolina managed to save one championship point, but Pegula ultimately sealed the victory with an ace.
A Long-Awaited Title
This win marks a breakthrough for Pegula, who had previously reached six consecutive semi-finals without securing a title. “I can’t ask for much more,” Pegula stated after the match. “The last six months I’ve been playing some really good tennis. I made seven consecutive semi-finals and I was like, ‘You know what, a title would be nice, maybe it will happen this week’, and it did.”
Historic Win for American Tennis
Pegula becomes the third American woman to win the Dubai crown, joining Lindsay Davenport and three-time champion Venus Williams. She too achieved four Top 20 wins at a single event for just the second time in her career, previously accomplishing this at the 2023 WTA Finals.
Looking Ahead
Pegula, who will turn 32 on February 24th, expressed her delight at earning a title ahead of her birthday. She remains ranked fifth in the world and will next compete at Indian Wells, where she can add to her ranking points total.
Source: WTA Tennis, Tennis365, BBC Sport, The National News