After a week of gripping tennis in Dubai, we finally have a matchup set to contest the second WTA 1000 tournament of the year, as Jessica Pegula takes on Elina Svitolina for the title.
Both players come into the final on the back of victories against top-five opponents and have, overall, started the new season playing exceptional tennis. As such, the final is not only expected to be a great opportunity for either player to win a big title, but it should also be tightly contested. As always, LWOT will provide you with a complete match guide for the clash.
Head-to-Head
These two players have faced off eight times on the WTA Tour, with Pegula leading the head-to-head five wins to three. However, it was the Ukrainian who won their most recent match at Indian Wells last year, and she has arguably been playing at a top-five level to start 2026.
Seven of their eight matches have been on hard courts, just like Sunday’s final will be, with Pegula holding a more significant edge of five wins to two on this surface. The players split their two meetings last year, and thus, despite Pegula’s overall advantage in the head-to-head, both players will like their chances entering the match.
Match Time and Where to Watch
The final in Dubai is scheduled to begin no earlier than 7:00 PM local time (10:00 AM EST, 3:00 PM GMT).
The match will be broadcast live worldwide on major networks, including:
- United States: Tennis Channel
- Canada: TSN (English), TVA (French)
- Australia: beIN Sport
Coverage in Europe will be available on:
- United Kingdom: Sky UK
- Italy: Sky Italia
- France: Eurosport France
- Germany: Sky Deutschland
- Spain: Telefonica / Movistar
Complete global broadcast details can also be found on the tournament’s official website.
Match Details
Both players are among the very best baseliners on tour currently, relying on counterpunching to dictate play and control the tempo of matches. If we were to nitpick, however, it would be fair to say that Pegula is the more consistent counterpuncher of the two and the player with greater stability on hard courts, highlighted by the fact that she has now made at least the semifinals of her last seven tournaments.
What has held Pegula back, though, is her lack of a true weapon groundstroke, which often becomes her undoing when she faces players who possess such firepower, like Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina. Against Svitolina, however, that will not necessarily be the case, and it will likely come down to which player has the more efficient day from the back of the court.
Speaking of Svitolina, her start to 2026 has been nothing short of outstanding, having already won a title and made the final four of the Australian Open. Her forehand in particular has been performing above its usual level, and she is likely riding the wave of confidence that comes from winning most of your matches.
This will likely be a tightly fought match between two players who will both feel that this is their title to win, given their form and the opponent across the net. As such, nerve management will also be crucial, and it is quite possible that the player who remains focused and does not let the occasion overwhelm her will emerge victorious.
