Coco Gauff’s former coach and former World No. 4, Brad Gilbert, weighed in on Jessica Pegula’s remarkable comeback against Amanda Anisimova to reach the WTA 1000 final in Dubai. The World No. 5 trailed by a set and 3-1 in the second but mounted a spirited turnaround to seal the victory in two hours and two minutes and book her place in the title clash.
Coco Gauff’s Former Coach Takes Note of Jessica Pegula’s ‘Solid Turnaround’ Against Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova came out firing, striking the ball cleanly to race through the opening set 6–1. The pressure quickly shifted onto her compatriot, who initially struggled for rhythm and fell 3–1 behind in the second.
But Pegula gradually steadied herself, mixing in defensive slices to break Anisimova’s timing. The tactical adjustment paid off as she wrestled back control to claim the set 6–4 and force a decider.
The momentum then stood with Pegula, who went 4-1 up in the decider and eventually won it 6-3 to reach the final of the Dubai Duty Free Championships. The win took her to her 21st summit clash on the WTA tour, also her 10th at the WTA 1000 level or higher. It also extended her flawless record against Amanda Anisimova to 5–0.
Pegula’s stirring comeback sent shockwaves through the tennis world, and Brad Gilbert was quick to applaud. The former World No. 4 lauded Pegula’s resilience, emphasizing the remarkable consistency she has displayed since the 2025 US Open.
Since then, the American has reached at least the semifinals in every tournament she has played, including the Australian Open and the WTA Finals, except Wuhan and Dubai, where she reached the summit clash.
“What a run Jpeg on since @usopen into the final of Dubai, solid turnaround to take out AA,” Gilbert wrote on X.
what a run Jpeg on since @usopen into the final of Dubai, solid turnaround to take out AA
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) February 20, 2026
Pegula reflected on her performance after the match, while acknowledging Anisimova’s efforts and dominance. The 31-year-old added that despite losing the first set, she focused on holding serve and believed more break chances would eventually come her way.
“At the start of the third, it was 1-1. I just looked at my coach, and I was like, ‘I’m just happy I’m still even here right now.’ She was playing some incredible tennis, and I just came out a little slow. And when you come out slow against Amanda, she can really just wipe you off the court, which is what she was doing,” she said after the match.
“I held on to my serve there in the second set. I just kept telling myself that. I had some break points in the first set, even though it was convincingly the other way, and I knew I could get some break points back. That’s really all I was focusing on,” she added.
Jessica Pegula now shifts her focus to Elina Svitolina, who edged past Coco Gauff in a dramatic semifinal. After dropping a marathon second-set tie-break, Svitolina regrouped impressively to clinch a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(15), 6-4 victory and book her place in the final.
