On Saturday, August 1, 2026, top-seeded American Jessica Pegula secured her place in the Washington Open final by defeating Russia's Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4. Pegula, who won her first WTA title in Washington in 2019, is aiming for her third title of the year and the 12th of her career after previous wins in Dubai and Charleston.
Pegula overcame a 5-2 deficit in the opening set by holding serve and breaking Shnaider in the ninth game. She then leveled the set at 5-5, broke again, and closed out the set when Shnaider sent a forehand wide. In the second set, Pegula broke for a 3-2 lead, extended it to 5-2, and finished the match with a forehand winner after 87 minutes.
The 22-year-old Shnaider, a French Open semi-finalist this year, was bidding for her sixth WTA title.
In the other semifinal, 21-year-old Alexandra Eala from the Philippines defeated Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2. Eala, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last month and is playing in her third semifinal this year, broke Osaka in the ninth game of the first set and held to love to take it. She continued her momentum by breaking twice in the second set to move 4-2 ahead and sealed the victory without dropping a set during her run to the final.
Eala expressed confidence ahead of the final, saying, "I'm in the final for a reason. I just have to trust myself. She (Pegula) is such an amazing player. I think it's going to be a really good match."
Pegula reflected on her match, stating, "I just capitalised on a couple of areas. I think I started just trying to find the rhythm on the return. I didn't think I was that far off ... So, just trying to pick up my energy and again, try and be a little bit more aggressive. I think I played really well and, of course, it's such a meaningful match against a great player. So really happy to share the court with Naomi."
The Washington Open final promises a compelling contest between the experienced Pegula and the rising star Eala.
Loading comments.