Closing Power: Pegula Rallies Past Anisimova Into Maiden Dubai Final

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 20, 2026
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Swirling in a spiral that saw her lose nine of the first 11 games, Jessica Pegula did not press the panic button.

Narrowing her focus and dialing in her drives, Pegula played catch-up with conviction.

A resilient Pegula raced through nine of the last 12 games, maintaining her mastery of Amanda Anisimova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to her maiden Dubai final.

It was Pegula’s fifth win over Anisimova in as many meetings and showcased her problem-solving skills. 

Blown out for a set-and-a-half, the Australian Open semifinalist began applying her variety, spreading the court and serving with more ambition to reach her first final since the 2025 Wuhan where she fell to Coco Gauff.

The fourth-seeded Pegula will play either third-seeded Gauff or seventh-seeded Elina Svitolina in tomorrow’s final. Overall, Pegula leads her former doubles partner Gauff 5-3 and has won five of eight meetings vs. AO semifinalist Svitolina.

“At the start of the third it was 1-all and I said to my coach I’m happy I’m still here,” Pegula said. “When you come out slow against Amanda she can wipe you off the court which is what she was doing…

“I knew I could get some break points back so that’s really all I was focusing on… I came here with the intention I could play well in these condition and go deep. So I’m very happy to be in the final tomorrow.” 

The 31-year-old Pegula, who celebrates her 32nd birthday in four days, will play for her fourth WTA 1000 championship.

Since the Dubai Duty Free Championships’ inception in 2011, this was the event’s second all-American semifinal after the Williams sisters squared off in 2009. 

Five weeks ago, Pegula showed fast footwork, a stinging serve and baseline precision, powering past Anisimova 6-2, 7-6(1) into her maiden Australian Open semifinal.

Winless in four prior meetings vs. Pegula, Anisimova came out with the intense focus of a player poised to turn the tables on her career-long nemesis.

Driving the ball down the line with authority off both wings, Anisimova zapped a clean forehand strike to break for a 2-0 lead.

The Wimbledon finalist held at 30 extending her lead to 3-0 after 11 minutes.

The second seed’s fast flat drives were landing so deep in the court, Pegula was often left lunging trying to flick back blocked replies.

Serving for the set, Anisimova opened with a double fault. Then, Anisimova banged four big serves in a row rolling through eight of the last nine points to slam shut the opening set after only 29 minutes.

It was the first time Anisimova took a set from Pegula since the second set of Pegula’s 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 victory in the 2024 Toronto final. Anisimova had won 14 of her last 15 matches when seizing the opening set, but Pegula was just getting started on this day.

The length of the lasers Anisimova was rocketing robbed Pegula of reaction time. Anisimova drew a flat forehand into the net, scoring her second straight break to start the second set.

The US Open finalist fired through a two-ace game backing up the break for a 2-0 lead—her eighth win in the first nine games. 

Pegula denied a break point, got away with a tame drop shot and held for the first time since the fourth game for 1-2.

That stand spurred Pegula, who sent several low drives near her opponent’s ankles drawing a flurry of errors for triple break point.

Steadying herself, Anisimova erased all three break points, coaxing a netted forehand for deuce. 

Measuring her signature shot, Anisimova torched her two-hander crosscourt then ran down a drop shot and lifted a forehand down the line for 3-1.

The pair traded breaks in the sixth and seventh games with Anisimova scalding a backhand down the line to break back for 4-3 and raise a clenched fist to her box.

Shrewd problem-solver Pegula was not fazed by her predicament. Pegula was mixing in some short slices, moving out of the corners with more self-assurance and playing off her front foot more frequently to make her slower opponent move more often.

Showcasing her net skills, Pegula won a crafty mini-tennis point played from inside the box breaking back in the eighth game.

Anisimova was serving at 4-5 and had a mid-court forehand, but Pegula guessed right, held her ground in the backhand corner and cranked a crosscourt backhand pass. That strike helped Pegula earn two set points.

A precise Pegula drew a floated forehand winning 12 of the last 16 points in set two to force a final set.

“It’s a really tough match up—it’s not like we have really easy matches,” Pegula said. “I do think I’m able to take some time away from her and hit a low flat ball. We had a lot of cat and mouse points and they mostly went my way so that was good.”

In the opening set, Pegula was hitting the body serve—and Anisimova was drilling deep returns when her compatriot missed her spot. In the decider, Pegula hit the wide serve more effectively to set up her first strike.

Midway through the decider, Anisimova netted a forehand drop shot to face break point then missed a forehand slightly long as Pegula broke for 3-1.

Showing her versatility, Pegula lofted a creative lob winner consolidating at 3- for 4-1—her seventh of the last eight games.

Pressed to 30-all in the seventh game, Pegula slid an ace off the T and played the drop shot-backhand pass combination to hold for 5-2.

 On match point, Anisimova sailed a final drive and Pegula flipped her Yonex racquet aside in joy, raising her 2026 record to 12-2. Pegula won precisely two more points (93 to 91) in this first semifinal.