Jessica Pegula Defeats Elina Svitolina for Dubai Title

The World No. 5 claims her 10th WTA title and fourth at the WTA 1000 level.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Jessica Pegula, the World No. 5, defeated ninth-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 to win the WTA 1000 title in Dubai. This marks Pegula's 10th career WTA title and her fourth at the WTA 1000 level. The 30-year-old American was dominant throughout the match, breaking Svitolina's serve multiple times and closing out the victory in just 73 minutes.

Why it matters

Pegula has been one of the most consistent forces in women's tennis over the past three years, and this victory in Dubai further solidifies her status as an elite player on the WTA Tour. The win also makes her the third American woman to claim the Dubai crown, joining Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams.

The details

Pegula opened the match with a break of serve and quickly added a second to take control of the first set. Svitolina, a two-time Dubai champion, managed to save a set point while serving at 1-5, but Pegula closed out the set in the next game. In the second set, Pegula broke Svitolina's serve to go up 3-2 and then held off the Ukrainian's late comeback attempts to clinch the title on her second match point.

  • Pegula defeated No. 20 Iva Jovic, No. 15 Clara Tauson, and No. 6 Amanda Anisimova to reach the Dubai final.
  • This was Pegula's 19th WTA final since the start of 2020.
  • Svitolina entered the final with a 4-0 record in WTA 1000 finals and a 19-4 record overall in title matches, but had not won at this level since her triumph in Rome in 2018.

The players

Jessica Pegula

The World No. 5 and 30-year-old American who has been one of the most consistent forces in women's tennis over the past three years.

Elina Svitolina

The ninth-ranked Ukrainian player who is a two-time champion in Dubai (2017 and 2018) but had not won a WTA 1000 title since her triumph in Rome in 2018.

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What they’re saying

“If she wins this match, I hope she takes her forehand down the line to a nice dinner tonight—maybe with some nice wine and candles.”

— Andrea Petkovic, Commentator (Tennis Channel)

The takeaway

Pegula's dominant performance in Dubai, where she defeated multiple top-20 players en route to the title, further cements her status as one of the elite players on the WTA Tour. Her ability to win big titles at the WTA 1000 level shows she has the game and mentality to compete with the best in the world.