Top-Seeded Pegula Powers Into Second Washington, DC Final

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 1, 2026
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook

Jessica Pegula is not only a long-time Top 10 player, she’s an experienced entrepreneur.

Facing a 2-5 deficit today, Pegula showed sound court management skills to take care of business in Washington, DC.

Unleashing a five-game surge, Pegula dispatched Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4, to roar into her second career Mubadala DC Open final today.

The third-ranked Pegula raised her 2026 record to 38-9 reaching her fourth final of the year.

Pegula converted five of eight break points and committed eight fewer unforced errors in an 87-minute triumph today. Continuing her mastery over Shnaider, Pegula spread the court more effectively as the match progressed improving to 4-0 against the 18th-ranked left-hander.

The top-seeded Pegula will play either former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka or 21-year-old Filipina phenom Alexandra Eala in tomorrow’s Washington, DC final.

The top seed slammed a swing volley off the tape to face a break point then sailed a forehand beyond the baseline handing Shnaider the break and a 2-0 lead.

Struggling to tame her forehand, the left-hander ceded the break back in the third game. 

Settling in, Shnaider smacked a few crosscourt forehands holding for 4-1 after 19 minutes.

Spinning the short angle serve on the ad side, Shnaider hit her forehand behind the American, stamping a love hold for 5-2.

When Shnaider served for the opening set at 5-3, she opened with a double fault, was victimized by Pegula torching a two-hander crosscourt then badly bashed her own backhand wide as the top seed broke back at 15.

By then, Pegula was reading and intercepting the slice serve wide on the ad side and countering with some severe angles. Pegula lashed a deep return and Shnaider sailed a forehand long as the 2019 Washington, DC champion scored her second straight break for 6-5.

Serving for the set, Pegula opened with an ace before closing the 45-minute opener on a five-game surge. Pegula, who won her seventh of eight sets vs. Shnaider, adjusted her court positioning and was driving the ball with depth to take charge of the opening set.

The 2024 US Open finalist was mixing in slice backhands to disrupt Shnaider’s rhythm and draw errors break for a 3-2 second-set lead. Pegula consolidated the break and went right back to work aiming to crack the Shnaider serve again. 

The depth of Pegula’s drives sometimes sent Shnaider to drop into counters from her knees, Aga Radwanska style. Dancing around her backhand, Pegula flattened a forehand strike down the line scoring her fourth break fro 5-2.

The left-hander saved a match point and broke on Pegula’s first attempt to serve for the final.

Serving the the final again, Pegula caught a break when Shnaider over-hit a second-serve return long for a second match point.

Sprinting behind the baseline, Pegula hooked a fantastic running forehand into the corner capping a 7-5, 6-4 win to advance to her second Washington, DC final.