Top 5 Highlights From Jessica Pegula's Dubai Title

The narrative throughout most of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was the large number of withdrawals and walkovers. However, Jessica Pegula changed that with her impressive victory against Elina Svitolina in the final on Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Pegula defeated the seventh-seeded Svitolina in straight sets: 6-2, 6-4. Below are the five best highlights from the memorable day in Dubai.

Jessica Pegula's Hot Start

UNREAL tennis from Jess Pegula 👏

This angle 🤩#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/WbVudcykX4
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 21, 2026

It is possible that Svitolina entered the championship match fatigued after her three-hour semifinal battle against Coco Gauff yesterday. Meanwhile, Pegula had only dropped two sets throughout the entire Masters 1000 tournament. Pegula was locked in from the beginning, and it was apparent in a lengthy rally she won in the first set.

First Set-Point

One set away from glory 🙌@JPegula makes a lightning quick start to take the first set against Svitolina 6-2.#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/pBwizLQMyh
— wta (@WTA) February 21, 2026

It took Pegula just 34 minutes to put away Svitolina, which would prove beneficial later in the match. In the first set, Pegula hit 13 winners and eight unforced errors. She won 33 total points and was 3/7 on break points. Meanwhile, Svitolina struggled with her serve and only hit four winners with 11 unforced errors. She won 21 total points and was 1/3 on break points.

Championship Point

It's Jess' moment in Dubai 🥹🙌🏆@JPegula | #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/wWG5ERhWvz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 21, 2026

As Svitolina reminded tennis fans earlier in the tournament, she "fights like Ukraine." That meant battling back to win four games in the second set. Eventually, Pegula overcame Svitolina and won her first Masters title after seven consecutive semifinal appearances dating back to the 2025 US Open.

Jessica Pegula's Distracted Coach

Congratulations, @JPegula 🤣#JessicaPegula pic.twitter.com/ME7DY3sgsH
— RJ (@rjnanana22) February 21, 2026

It would not be tennis without a new meme or GIF, and Pegula's coach helped make that happen. After shaking hands with Svitolina at the net, Pegula jogged across the court to see Mark Knowles. Unfortunately, she had to wait a second as he was busy scrolling on his phone. The lighthearted moment perfectly fit Pegula's comedic style.

Jessica Pegula's Birthday Present

It's about to be a good flight home 😉@JPegula speaks after winning the title in Dubai 🗣️ #DDFTEnnis pic.twitter.com/qEVo2h4udn
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 21, 2026

Pegula turns 32 years old next week, and today served as an early birthday present for the American tennis star. "It's a great birthday present for me. Just super happy to go home with a trophy," Pegula said during the trophy presentation.

Pegula improves to 13-2 on the season with one title. Today's victory marks her 10th career title. Four have come at the Masters 1000 level, with this marking her first away from North American hard courts. Meanwhile, Svitolina is 15-3 with one title this year and remains one of the toughest players on tour.

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