Pegula surges past Gracheva in Dubai dominance
After nearly 20 days away, Jessica Pegula rediscovers her edge on Dubai’s fast courts, breaking through early resistance to claim the last nine games and a spot in the Round of 16.
In the humid evening haze of Dubai Tennis Stadium, Jessica Pegula stepped back into the fray after almost 20 days sidelined. The World No. 5, buoyed by her Australian Open semifinal, had opted out of the Middle East swing’s early stops to recharge stateside, preserving energy for the WTA Tour’s grueling pace. As the No. 4 seed, she bypassed the first round and met qualifier Varvara Gracheva on courts that favor bold serves and swift returns, her game primed for the challenge ahead.
Pegula grabbed an early break and hold for 2-0, her heavy topspin forehands pinning Gracheva deep. The qualifier fought back, leveling at 3-all before edging ahead 4-3 on serve, forcing Pegula to dig in amid the building tension. Yet the American steadied, her baseline rallies gaining depth as the crowd sensed the shift.
“It feels good,” Pegula said. “it’s always kind of weird coming off such a good result of a Slam, and first week, back playing -- and skipping last week -- it’s always a little weird. I feel like I’m playing, but I’m practicing, but it takes a while to kind of get that edge kind of back.
“I had some adversity in the first set and then was able to play a really clean from then on.”
Adversity sparks commanding hold
Trailing 15-40 in the fourth game, Pegula faced her sternest test, reeling off four straight points with a mix of crosscourt backhands and an inside-out forehand that drew a net cord error. She held firm, then broke at 5-4 when Gracheva’s down-the-line forehand veered wide, setting up set point. An ace sealed the 6-4 opener, her posture straightening as applause rippled through the stands, the layoff’s doubts evaporating in the desert warmth.
This turnaround highlighted Pegula’s mental fortitude, honed during her break from the tour’s rhythm. Gracheva, grinding through qualifiers, began showing cracks as Pegula’s returns tightened, her low slices disrupting the baseline exchanges. The second set became a procession, with three more breaks leading to a 6-0 bagel in just 70 minutes total.
Serve precision unlocks the flood
Pegula’s first serve landed 45 of 48 times at 94%, including four aces that underscored her command—one clinching the set after that pivotal break. She captured nearly 70% of those points and 50% on Gracheva’s first serves, saving 4 of 5 break points faced while conceding just one break overall and one double fault. This efficiency, born from focused practice, turned service games into launching pads for her one–two patterns, keeping Gracheva off-balance on the grippy hard courts.
“I was serving really well, hitting all my spots,” Pegula reflected. “I was doing a good job of getting ahead in the service games. I felt like I had a little bit of a window, mixing up my spots and kind of going for some bigger serves and maybe getting a couple of aces here and there.
“it’s something I’ve been working on a lot, so I’m glad I was able to utilize that today.”
The final nine games fell in a row, Gracheva’s fatigue evident as errors piled up under relentless pressure. This marked Pegula’s second win over her, surpassing their tight 7-5, 7-6(8) clash in Cincinnati 2020, but with far greater authority on these speedy surfaces where her flatter shots thrived.
Next test brews on fast courts
Now in the third round, Pegula awaits the winner of Iva Jovic and Diana Shnaider, both returning from strong Melbourne showings—Jovic to quarters, Shnaider chasing depth since Adelaide. She owns a 2-0 edge over Shnaider in straight-set hard-court wins from the 2024 US Open and National Bank Open, often varying depths to counter the Russian’s power. Jovic, an untested foe, draws Pegula’s “mini-me” label for her all-court similarities, entering with a hot 2026 streak and zero pressure.
“I think that’s going to be a really tough match for both of them,” Pegula said. “I think it’s going to be a tough match for me. I always have close matches with Diana, and Iva, we’ve never played, but I feel like she kind of plays like a mini-me, so it’s going to be tough.
“[Iva’s] going to have nothing to lose, and she’s been really hot, beating and winning a lot of matches this year. Either way, it’s going to be an interesting matchup, especially in these kind of hotter, fast conditions. We’ll see how it goes.”
Dubai’s conditions amplify the intrigue, demanding quick feet and spin control that suit Pegula’s evolution. Follow the action via Dubai: Scores, Draws, and Order of play as she builds on this momentum. With five breaks notched and her serve firing, Pegula’s return signals a top-five campaign gathering steam, poised to navigate the draw’s youth-infused challenges.
