Jessica Pegula delivered one of the best performances of her career against Amanda Anisimova in Dubai at the WTA 1000 tournament. She defeated the fellow American on Friday, February 20, to book her spot in the final against the seventh seed Elina Svitolina.
Jessica Pegula’s Sister Kelly’s Reaction After Her Dubai Semifinal Win Against Amanda Anisimova
Pegula made an impressive comeback after being down a set, making the entire Aviation Club Tennis Centre bow down and acknowledge the masterclass of a performance. Following the match, Pegula’s sister, Kelly, could not contain her excitement as she celebrated the World No. 5’s win on social media.
Pegula defeated Anisimova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday, in the semifinal of the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai. She struggled significantly with her serve in the first set, on which the World No. 6 capitalized and dominated her opponent. However, once her serve was back on the point, she won the next two sets comfortably, making Anisimova cover the entire court only to lose crucial points.
This performance by Pegula demanded appreciation and love after she mounted an impressive comeback against such an elite player so deep in a WTA 1000 tournament. Her sister, Kelly, immediately took to Instagram to share a reel from the WTA and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship in her story.
MORE: Serena Williams Shuts Down Maria Sharapova’s Wimbledon Theory After Her Cryptic Message Fuels Comeback Talk
In the video clip, Pegula won a very physical point in which both players covered almost the entire court, and Pegula hit a clever shot at the end to secure the point.
After the match, when Pegula shared an Instagram post capturing moments from her match, Kelly was the first one to show love to her sister, commenting, “Bangerrr?” Apart from social media, the younger Pegula sister is known for supporting Jessica during her matches, often being present in her player’s box.
Interestingly, on December 2, 2025, Pegula shared a collection of images from her off-season activities, showing her enjoying time with her friends and family. In that post, she unintentionally hard-launched Kelly’s engagement news by sharing an image of her with her engagement ring. This led to playful banter between the sisters in the post’s comment section, catching the tennis world’s attention.
Pegula One Win Away from Her 10th Career Title
Pegula entered Dubai as the fourth seed and announced her arrival with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 win against Varvara Gracheva in just over 70 minutes. She then faced American teenager Iva Jovic in the round of 16 match, where she needed less than 80 minutes to secure a 6-4, 6-2 win.
After cruising through the initial stages of the WTA 1000 tournament, she faced her first challenge against the 12th seed, Clara Tauson, in the quarterfinals. The Danish player tested Pegula’s resilience as she won the second set 6-2 after the American won the first one 6-3. Despite having a better first serve than Pegula, Tauson could not finish the job as she lost the decisive set 6-4.
MORE: Days After Iga Świątek’s Double Bounce Drama, Andrea Petkovic and Coco Gauff’s Former Coach Makes Feelings Clear
This led to the all-American semifinal clash yesterday, where Pegula edged past Anisimova. Even though the third-ranked American landed fewer aces, she also committed fewer double faults than Anisimova and had a much better first serve win percentage throughout the match. All these factors contributed to the comeback win, marking Pegula’s fifth consecutive win over Anisimova, right after the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open.
Pegula is now set to face Svitolina in the final, who has also shown impressive form throughout the tournament. On her way to the final, she defeated the ninth seed, Belinda Bencic, in the round of 16 match before defeating the top-ranked American, Coco Gauff, 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4 in the semifinals.