Elina Svitolina survived a 3-hour, 3-minute semifinal to defeat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (13), 6-4 and advance to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final. The two-time Dubai champion required six match points to finally close out the match and will meet Jessica Pegula for the title.

“Fight like Ukraine” was how Elina Svitolina signed the camera after a three-hour, three-minute battle with Coco Gauff, and fight she did to ultimately emerge victorious, 6-4, 6-7 (13), 6-4, and reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.

On court after the match Svitolina reflected on what drives her resilience. “It’s very special to see so many flags,” Svitolina said on court after the match. “I’m fighting all the time, and when I’m down and I feel all those emotions, I try to keep in my mind that there are really difficult times that Ukraine is going through. I’m really lucky to be here performing and representing Ukraine, so I try to do it in a decent way.”

Svitolina overcame the disappointment of losing four match points in the second-set tiebreaker and reversed the momentum late in the decider. The turning moment arrived in the penultimate game when she won a marathon point, then secured her sixth break of the match to seal the victory just over three hours after the start.

“Coco is such a big fighter,” praised Svitolina, who will next face Gauff’s countrywoman Jessica Pegula in the final “I was expecting that she would come back in the match. She’s won so many big finals, big tournaments. For sure, I had to keep fighting to keep pushing and I was just trying to win that match. I’m very pleased with the fight and very pleased with the win today.”

Standing between Svitolina and a WTA 1000 title is Pegula, who advanced after her own semifinal victory over Amanda Anisimova. Pegula came back from a set and a break down to maintain a perfect 5-0 head-to-head against last year’s Wimbledon and US Open finalist and move into the championship match. “It’s really, really special to be in the final again after a few years, of course, and to have another chance to lift that beautiful trophy,” said Svitolina, who returned to the Top 10 for the first time since becoming a mother earlier this year.

Coco Gauff moved into the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a commanding win over Alexandra Eala, following a draining three-set victory the day before.

After surviving Elise Mertens on Thursday, 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-3, Gauff returned on Friday and closed out her quarterfinal in 67 minutes, 6-0, 6-2. The result sends her into the last four of the WTA 1000 event and marks a strong rebound after her narrow escape the previous day.

“It was a bit better today,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I could have served a little bit better, but I made it in when it mattered.

“Alex is a tough competitor. Even when I was up I knew that she could come back at any given moment—I’ve seen her do it before.”

The victory brings a pair of milestones into sharper relief. It is Gauff’s second trip to the Dubai semifinals and her 13th appearance in the semifinal stage of a WTA 1000 tournament. The match also highlights a striking trend: Gauff has won 16 of her last 17 matches versus left-handed opponents.

Her most recent defeat to a lefty came against Diana Shnaider in Toronto in 2024. The loss prior to that dates back to 2021, when she fell to Angelique Kerber in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

GAUFF VS LEFTIES SINCE START OF 2022: 16-1

She is also 32-4 in sets over that span, underscoring consistent control rather than isolated wins. Gauff will carry that form into the semifinals as she seeks to convert the momentum from a decisive performance over Eala and the resilience shown against Mertens into a deeper run at the Dubai WTA 1000 event.

© 2026 Robert Prange

Coco Gauff used a lighthearted tactic to neutralize a partisan crowd and advanced to the Dubai semifinals with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Alexandra Eala.

“I had a similar match at French Open last year so I brought that mindset today,” Gauff explained on court after defeating Eala, 6-0, 6-2. “Whenever you guys were cheering for Alex, I was pretending it was my name. I think that it helped me a lot!

“If you can’t beat ‘em, you’ve got to join them,” the American added with a laugh. “Whenever you guys were cheering for Alex, I pretended it was my name,” said the American after the match.

Gauff dominated the early stages, winning the first 10 games of their first singles meeting. Eala eventually got on the board but was unable to generate pressure on Gauff’s serve. Gauff won 77% of points on her first delivery and converted six of nine break points across the 67-minute clash, applying steady pressure from the return.

Eala has become one of the WTA Tour’s breakout stars since reaching the Miami Open semifinals last spring. The Rafael Nadal Academy alum has been drawing large crowds, including a standing-room-only first-round audience at the Australian Open in January. She reached the Dubai quarterfinal after ousting former champion Jasmine Paolini in the second round and beating Sorana Cirstea in the Round of 16.

Gauff welcomed the packed stadium and praised Eala’s supporters. “I have to say, it’s great to be on a crowded court,” said Gauff, who hailed Eala’s exploding fanbase as “great for tennis” ahead of their Dubai quarterfinal. “I’d like to thank Alex for bringing a new demographic to the sport. I really appreciate it,” Gauff continued. “I think it’s great. I know sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing against a ‘home’ crowd, but I think that it’s great for the sport, so keep being enthusiastic and keep rooting for your player.”

Into her second Dubai semifinal, Gauff also moved past recent setbacks on the Middle East swing after an early loss in Qatar and a close call against Elise Mertens in the previous round. The former doubles partner pairing in 2025 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia added another chapter to their rivalry on the WTA 1000 stage.