Jessica Pegula staged a comeback to defeat Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Elina Svitolina outlasted Coco Gauff in a three-set thriller featuring the longest tiebreak of the year. The two veterans will face off in Saturday's final.
In the semifinals of the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Jessica Pegula overcame a tough challenge from Amanda Anisimova, rallying from a set and a break down to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula, who improved her serving after the first set, faced just one break point in the decider and converted it to secure her spot in the final. The American, turning 32 next week, has now reached eight WTA 1000 finals, trailing only a few active players in that category.
Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina edged Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4 in a match that lasted over three hours. Svitolina took the first set but saw four match points slip away in the second-set tiebreak, which Gauff won 15-13—the longest on the WTA Tour this year. The Ukrainian regrouped to claim the third set, marking her third straight three-set victory in the tournament. Svitolina, seeking her third Dubai title and first in eight years, improved to 15-2 for the season.
The final pits the 31-year-old Svitolina against Pegula, with their head-to-head at 5-3 in Pegula's favor, though Svitolina won their last meeting in three sets at Indian Wells last year. This will be the second-oldest combined age for a WTA 1000 final since 1990. Anisimova and Gauff each earned $197,000 and 390 ranking points for reaching the semifinals, with Gauff staying at No. 4 and Anisimova at No. 6.
The championship match begins at 7 p.m. local time on Saturday at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.
