Pegula rallies past Anisimova to reach Dubai Open final, joins Serena and Navratilova in late-career club
At the dubai open, No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula came from a set and a break down to beat No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours and 2 minutes, improving to 5-0 against Anisimova and advancing to her 21st career final.
Dubai Open semifinal drama: Pegula erases 6-1, 3-1 hole
Trailing 6-1, 3-1 early, Pegula steadied in the second set and then seized control in the decider, winning seven of eight games from 4-3 down to move 4-1 in the third set and close out the comeback. The 31-year-old erased Anisimova's early dominance with high defensive lobs and disruptive slices, turning long rallies into opportunities that paid off in the final two sets.
A late-career milestone with Serena and Navratilova company
With the Dubai result, Pegula moved into her 21st career final and her 10th at the WTA 1000 level or above; she is a three-time WTA 1000 champion (Guadalajara 2022, Montreal 2023 and Toronto 2024) and a four-time WTA 1000 runner-up (Madrid 2022, Cincinnati 2024, Miami 2025, Wuhan 2025). She was also a finalist at the 2023 WTA Finals Cancun and the 2024 US Open. Pegula has now joined the shortlist of players who have reached five or more Tier 1 or WTA 1000 finals after turning 30, alongside Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova.
Final awaits: Pegula to face Elina Svitolina
Pegula will face No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina in the final as she bids for her first Dubai trophy. She leads her head-to-head with Svitolina 5-3, including a 5-2 margin on outdoor hard courts, and now has another opportunity to add to her run of big-event finals.
Pegula reflected on the turnaround in press comments after the match, saying that at the start of the third it was 1-1 and she was simply glad to still be in the match; she also noted, "I was running a lot... I had to really make it a little physical there for a while. " Those tactical adjustments — using legs to stay in points and applying pressure with slice and lob — proved decisive against Anisimova's early power.
Anisimova had shown resilience earlier in the tournament, mounting a comeback to beat Mirra Andreeva 2-5, 7-5, 7-6 from 6-2, 2-0 down less than 24 hours before facing Pegula. Pegula's win cemented her perfect record against Anisimova, with previous victories coming in the 2020 Western & Southern Open second round, 2024 Charleston second round, the 2024 Toronto final and last month's Australian Open quarterfinals.
The confirmed next event is the Dubai final, where Pegula will challenge Svitolina for the title. The match will decide who lifts the Dubai trophy, and Pegula will be bidding to claim the tournament crown for the first time in her career.
