Jessica Pegula claimed the 10th WTA title of her career, following a commanding 6-2 6-4 victory over Elina Svitolina in the Dubai Tennis Championships final.

The American took 72 minutes to complete a straight-sets win as she was crowned champion in Dubai for the first time.

Svitolina was appearing in her fifth WTA 1000 final, and first in nearly eight years, while boasting a 100% record in such matches.

However, the Ukrainian was slow out of the blocks, hitting three double-faults in her opening two service games as she fell 3-0 behind.

Though Svitolina broke back in game four, Pegula responded in the next, while holding her own serve on the way to drawing first blood after 34 minutes.

The Auckland champion enjoyed a more solid start to the second set on serve. Yet, she was broken in the fifth game, and it proved crucial, with the American not budging on hold and sealing victory with an ace.

2 - Since the event’s inauguration in 2001, Jessica Pegula (31 years 356 days) is the second-oldest player to win the Women’s Singles title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, younger than only Venus Williams (33 years 245 days) in 2014. Champion. #DDFTennis | @DDFTennis @WTA pic.twitter.com/0IUoUcEWHT

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 21, 2026

Data Debrief: Pegula matches Wozniacki and Azarenka

At the age of 31 years and 356 days, Pegula is the second-oldest champion in Dubai, only younger than Venus Williams (33 years and 245 days old in 2014).

The American is also only the fourth player to win all her first four WTA 1000 titles on hard courts, after Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka since the format's introduction in 2009.

Pegula claimed four top-20 wins at a single event for only the second time in her career, having also achieved the feat at the 2023 WTA Finals.

As for Svitolina, who was fresh from a marathon semi-final against Coco Gauff, she became the player with the longest gap between final appearances at WTA 1000 final events (seven years, 227 days).