Latifa Bint Mohammed crowns American Jessica Pegula with the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open Tennis Championship title
Dubai, February 21 / WAM / Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), crowned American player Jessica Pegula with the title of the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open Tennis Championship in its 26th session in the category of individual competitions.
This prestigious tournament, which has become a major stop in the WTA 1000 points tournament schedule, was held under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him.”
The coronation ceremony took place on the famous main court of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, marking the end of a week full of international women’s tennis competitions, which began with the participation of 16 of the top 20 players and 35 of the top 40 players in the world.
American Jessica Pegula, ranked fifth in the world, won the women’s singles title after an enthusiastic confrontation during which she defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina by a score of 6-2, 6-4, joining her compatriots Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams as the third American player to win the tournament title, and the first since 2014.
The coronation ceremony was attended by Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Tennis and Padel Federation; Saeed Al Marri, Secretary General of the UAE Tennis and Padel Federation; Ramesh Sidambi, General Manager of Dubai Duty Free and Chairman of the Championship Organizing Committee; Salah Tahlak, Deputy General Manager of Dubai Duty Free and Tournament Director; and Shanid Al-Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Dubai Duty Free.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continue to consolidate its position as one of the most prominent international sporting events that attracts an elite group of men and women tennis players in the world.
The tournament witnessed a full week of strong competition for the singles and doubles titles, amid an enthusiastic crowd atmosphere and great interaction from the audience.
As for the doubles final, Canadian Gabriella Dabrowski and Brazilian Luisa Stefani gave a performance characterized by strength, technical touch, accuracy and confidence, after they easily defeated German Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva with a score of 6-1, 6-3, to achieve their first titles in Dubai.
Ramesh Sidambi said: “The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continue to raise the standards of sporting excellence globally, and this year’s WTA Championship once again witnessed the highest levels of competition among a global elite of female players. The 2026 edition of the Women’s 1000 Points Championship was a resounding success by all standards. We express our sincere appreciation to the players and WTA officials for their contribution to the success of this exceptional week, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the year.” “Next.”
For his part, Salah Tahlak said: “We enjoyed a week full of exciting confrontations in the women’s tennis competitions. I extend my congratulations to everyone who contributed to the success of the tournament, especially tonight’s winners. I also extend my thanks to the fans for their presence and interaction, which created a distinctive atmosphere, and to the media for broadcasting the events of the tournament to the whole world. And to everyone who worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the success of this tournament, your efforts are greatly appreciated.”
All eyes are now on the ATP 500 tournament, which begins on Monday, February 23 and continues until Saturday, February 28, at the same location.
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