Jessica Pegula's Unstoppable Streak Continues: A Comeback Queen in Dubai!
It's a familiar story on the tennis court: Jessica Pegula has once again proven her dominance over Amanda Anisimova, extending her perfect head-to-head record to a remarkable 5-0. This latest victory, a thrilling comeback in the Dubai semifinal, sees Pegula inching closer to her first WTA 1000 title since August 2024.
Published: February 20, 2026
© 2026 Robert Prange
Jessica Pegula seems to have a special formula when facing her compatriot, Amanda Anisimova. Just weeks after securing a quarterfinal win at the Australian Open, Pegula has once again triumphed, solidifying her 5-0 advantage against the two-time Grand Slam finalist.
Anisimova appeared to be on track to break this trend, controlling the early stages of their Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semifinal match. However, Pegula, demonstrating incredible resilience, staged a dramatic comeback. After falling behind by a significant margin, losing nine of the first 11 games and even missing a crucial break point opportunity, Pegula rallied to secure a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
"When you come out slow against Amanda, she can really just wipe you off the court, which is what she was doing," Pegula shared in her on-court interview. "I had some break points in the first set, even though it was convincingly the other way, and I knew I could get some break points back. That's really all I was focusing on."
This win caps off a stellar start to Pegula's 2026 season, boasting an impressive 12-2 record. Notably, all three of her Top 10 victories this year have come against fellow Americans, including a win over the reigning champion Madison Keys in Melbourne before her triumph over Anisimova.
Pegula's previous three WTA 1000 titles have all been achieved on hard courts, specifically in North America (Guadalajara in 2022, Montréal in 2023, and Toronto in 2024). As the No. 4 seed, she now faces the challenge of breaking a three-match losing streak in 1000-level finals, with her most recent runner-up finish occurring in Wuhan last October against Coco Gauff.
But here's where it gets interesting... Could we see a rematch of that Wuhan final in Dubai? Coco Gauff is set to face Elina Svitolina in another quarterfinal, a rematch of a previous Australian Open encounter where Svitolina secured a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory. Will Gauff avenge that loss, or will Svitolina continue her impressive run?
What do you think about Pegula's incredible comeback ability? Is her 5-0 record against Anisimova a sign of a mental edge, or just a statistical anomaly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
