Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Final | Jessica Pegula storms to glory as she defeats Elina Svitolina for in Dubai

Jessica Pegula prolongs what has been a mesmerising patch of form on the WTA Tour to win her first title since June 2025, and in some style. She takes down Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

Both players have started the year in imperious form. They were the losers in the Australian Open semi-finals but this has been put to the back of their minds as they go one step further in Dubai.

Both players got to the final after a repeat in their quarterfinals in Melbourne, respectively defeating Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff in tense clashes. Pegula was on the hunt for a fourth WTA 1000 title and the first in Dubai. Her last title in this category came all the way back in the 2024 Canadian Open. She has since lost three finals and was not prepared to make it four final losses on the trot.

It would not be easy with Svitolina used to coming out on top in Dubai. She had previously won the title twice back in 2017 and 2018 but failed to reach a final since in this specific event.

It would not be three titles and a first WTA 1000 final title since the 2018 Italian Open with Pegula racing into a lightning start. She went a double break ahead before responded to a fightback from Svitolina to swipe away the first set. Another crucial break put the American in pole position, and she was able to see it out in a very positive performance from the 31-year-old, who turns 32 in a few days so a nice early birthday present for her to enjoy.

Pegula came out of the blocks like a rocket. Svitolina tried to cling on but was left a drift in the early stages. She served to kick off the match and jumped into a 30-0 lead. She would then go on to lose the next eight points as Pegula broke before holding to love and securing a very secure advantage.

This was compounded almost instantly by the charging American who raced into a 40-15 lead again on her opponent’s serve. Svitolina clawed the deficit away, but her efforts came to waste as she fell a double break behind.

Svitolina was finding little joy on court. It was a place where she has had so many special memories, but this was looking ominous by Pegula. She looked to have got a foothold in the match with her first break but a racket change for Pegula was a catalyst in her taking full control once more. She had on 80% of second serve return points and was capitalising on this aggressive play hugely as she sailed into a 4-1 lead.

A fourth break on the spin was looking likely but two chances Svitolina had to make that reality was wasted. Pegula made sure that she would not get another chance before creating herself a chance to take the first set. The two-time champion resisted this and stuck around for the time being. It would not be for much longer as the American swiftly wrapped up the first set in 34 minutes with a hold to love.

The second set was a crucial one to dictate the rest of the match. It would be dominated by holds at the start. Svitolina snuck ahead before Pegula quickly got back on level terms in two closely fought games. The pair both claim a hold to love of their own as they continue to search for an inroad on their opponent’s serve.

Pegula managed to get one hand on the trophy as she broke the Svitolina serve to move 3-2 ahead and end the streaks of holds. She had more chances to break and move into a 5-2 lead later on, but Svitolina managed to resist these efforts and continue fighting on to somehow get back her title.

Pegula’s serve proved to be too formidable, and the 31-year-old was unable to make enough of an impact to get back into it. Pegula held her serve to move 5-3 ahead before creating a match point on the Svitolina serve. This was rebuffed and Pegula was forced to serve it out.

Another match point was spurned but it would not matter as Pegula created a number of chances as she took the next championship point with an accurate to take down Svitolina and win the title.