Elina Svitolina, the seventh seed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, came from a set down to defeat Antonia Ružić in the quarterfinals. The Ukrainian player secured a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory in a two-hour match, marking her third semifinal appearance of 2026. She will next face Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 tournament with a prize fund exceeding $4 million, continued on February 19, 2026, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, ranked No. 9 in the WTA and seeded seventh, faced Croatian Antonia Ružić, ranked No. 67 and entering as a lucky loser, in the quarterfinals.
Svitolina dropped the first set 3-6 but rallied to win the next two sets 6-2 and 6-3, clinching the match after two hours. This victory propels her into her 13th career semifinal at a WTA 1000 event and her third of the 2026 season. Svitolina, a two-time champion in Dubai from 2017 and 2018, is making her 11th appearance at the tournament, which runs through February 21.
In the semifinals, Svitolina will meet American Coco Gauff, the world No. 4, who advanced by defeating Filipino Alexandra Eala, ranked No. 47, 6-0, 6-2. The event highlights Svitolina's ongoing pursuit of the title in a competitive field.
