Jessica Pegula has been one of the most consistent forces in women’s tennis for the last three years. The World No. 5 solidified that status this week in Dubai with four Top-20 victories, ending her run to the title with a dominant 6-2, 6-4 win over ninth-ranked Elina Svitolina. It marks her tenth WTA title and her fourth at the WTA 1000 level.
Pegula, 30, is the third American woman to claim the Dubai crown, joining Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams.
It's Jess' moment in Dubai 🥹🙌🏆@JPegula | #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/wWG5ERhWvz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 21, 2026
Appearing in her first Dubai final and her eighth at the WTA 1000 level, Pegula barely put a foot wrong. She opened the pair’s ninth career meeting with a break of serve and tacked on a second moments later as Svitolina sailed a forehand long.
Svitolina entered with a 4-0 record in WTA 1000 finals and a 19-4 record overall in title matches, but the two-time Dubai champion (2017 and 2018) had not won at this level since her triumph in Rome in 2018. Pegula, playing in her 19th WTA final since the start of 2020, ensured the Ukrainian’s big-title drought continued with an impressive display of attacking tennis.
In the first battle of thirty-something finalists in tournament history, Svitolina managed to save a set point while serving at 1-5 in the first set, but Pegula quickly took care of business in the next game, holding at love to close it out in a breezy 34 minutes.
“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,” said Andrea Petkovic, commentating on the match for Tennis Channel.
Pegula, now 13-2 on the season, recorded her 30th career Top-10 victory on Saturday and her 53rd Top-20 win. She defeated No. 20 Iva Jovic, No. 15 Clara Tauson, and No. 6 Amanda Anisimova to reach the final.
Pegula’s 10 WTA Titles
| # | Year | Tournament | Level | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score |
| 1 | 2019 | Washington D.C. | WTA 250 | Hard | Camila Giorgi | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2 | 2022 | Guadalajara | WTA 1000 | Hard | Maria Sakkari | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 3 | 2023 | Montreal | WTA 1000 | Hard | Liudmila Samsonova | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 4 | 2023 | Seoul | WTA 250 | Hard | Yuan Yue | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 5 | 2024 | Berlin | WTA 500 | Grass | Anna Kalinskaya | 6–7(0), 6–4, 7–6(3) |
| 6 | 2024 | Toronto | WTA 1000 | Hard | Amanda Anisimova | 6–3, 2–6, 6–1 |
| 7 | 2025 | Austin | WTA 250 | Hard | Wang Xiyu | 6–4, 7–6(4) |
| 8 | 2025 | Charleston | WTA 500 | Clay | Danielle Collins | 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| 9 | 2025 | Bad Homburg | WTA 500 | Grass | Iga Swiatek | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 10 | 2026 | Dubai | WTA 1000 | Hard | Elina Svitolina | 6–2, 6–4 |
Svitolina could be forgiven for the slow start, given she had to battle through a 3-hour and 3-minute semifinal with Coco Gauff on Friday. She showed more pep in her step in the second set, but Pegula remained a step ahead, attacking the net and knocking off a perfect backhand volley to break for 3-2.
Svitolina tried to stem the tide, hanging close after saving a pair of break points while serving at 2-4 and a championship point at 3-5, 30-40, but Pegula was simply too dialed in.
She closed out the victory on her second match point after 73 minutes of pinpoint precision.
Pegula finished the day with four breaks of serve from 11 opportunities, as she won 18 of 27 second-serve return points. From the service stripe she held in eight of her nine service games.
WTA Dubai Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 2026 | Jessica Pegula | Elina Svitolina | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2025 | Mirra Andreeva | Clara Tauson | 7–6(1), 6–1 |
| 2024 | Jasmine Paolini | Anna Kalinskaya | 4–6, 7–5, 7–5 |
| 2023 | Barbora Krejčíková | Iga Świątek | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2022 | Jeļena Ostapenko | Veronika Kudermetova | 6–0, 6–4 |
| 2021 | Garbiñe Muguruza | Barbora Krejčíková | 7–6(6), 6–3 |
| 2020 | Simona Halep (2) | Elena Rybakina | 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(5) |
| 2019 | Belinda Bencic | Petra Kvitová | 6–3, 1–6, 6–2 |
| 2018 | Elina Svitolina (2) | Daria Kasatkina | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 2017 | Elina Svitolina | Caroline Wozniacki | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2016 | Sara Errani | Barbora Strýcová | 6–0, 6–2 |
| 2015 | Simona Halep | Karolína Plíšková | 6–4, 7–6(4) |
| 2014 | Venus Williams (3) | Alizé Cornet | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2013 | Petra Kvitová | Sara Errani | 6–2, 1–6, 6–1 |
| 2012 | Agnieszka Radwańska | Julia Görges | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2011 | Caroline Wozniacki | Svetlana Kuznetsova | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 2010 | Venus Williams (2) | Victoria Azarenka | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 2009 | Venus Williams | Virginie Razzano | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2008 | Elena Dementieva | Svetlana Kuznetsova | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2007 | Justine Henin (4) | Amélie Mauresmo | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 2006 | Justine Henin (3) | Maria Sharapova | 7–5, 6–2 |
| 2005 | Lindsay Davenport | Jelena Janković | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 2004 | Justine Henin (2) | Svetlana Kuznetsova | 7–6(3), 6–3 |
| 2003 | Justine Henin | Monica Seles | 4–6, 7–6(4), 7–5 |
| 2002 | Amélie Mauresmo | Sandrine Testud | 6–4, 7–6(3) |
| 2001 | Martina Hingis | Nathalie Tauziat | 6–4, 6–4 |
