The final four amid a wave of withdrawals, the Dubai semifinals promise plenty of excitement!

Although the 2026 WTA1000 Dubai event saw many withdrawals both before and during the competition, the final four women’s singles players are still very impressive. First, let’s look at the semifinal matchups:

[7] Svitolina vs. [3] Gauff

[4] Pegula vs. [2] Anisimova

The top seed in the upper half, Rybakina, withdrew in the third round against Rudd due to health concerns. This marked her first mid-tournament withdrawal since the 2024 Berlin event. In a post-match interview, she cited stomach discomfort and accumulated fatigue as the main reasons.

Rudd, who won that match, was eventually defeated in a tough three-set battle by the tournament’s 7th seed, Svitolina. This marks the Ukrainian star’s fifth time reaching the semifinals at this event (and her 13th time making a WTA 1000 singles semifinal in her career). Notably, with this win, Svitolina surpassed Wozniacki’s record of 22 victories, reaching 23 wins to become the player with the most main-draw wins in Dubai tournament history.

Svitolina’s semifinal opponent is American player Gauff, who defeated the crowd-favorite Iga in the quarterfinals, matching her personal best performance at this tournament. Gauff’s form in Dubai has been somewhat inconsistent; she had a tough comeback win over Mertens in an earlier round but ultimately advanced to the semifinals.

The bottom half of the draw features an all-American clash between two players. The tournament’s 4th seed, Pegula, battled through a three-set quarterfinal against the 12th seed, Townsend. Thanks to a steadier performance in the deciding set, Pegula secured her semifinal spot. After earning 390 ranking points and $197,000 in prize money, Pegula’s live ranking has risen to fifth place.

Next, Pegula will face the tournament’s 2nd seed, Anisimova, marking their second meeting since the Australian Open quarterfinals. Although Pegula ranks slightly lower in the world rankings, she holds a perfect 4-0 head-to-head record against Anisimova, without dropping a single set.

Another impressive record held by Pegula is that since last year’s US Open, she has reached at least the semifinals in seven consecutive tournaments — including the US Open, China Open, Wuhan Open, Year-End Championships, Brisbane, Australian Open, and now Dubai. Undoubtedly, Pegula has become one of the most consistent hard-court performers currently active.

For Anisimova, she recently ended Andreyeva’s title defense in the quarterfinals and will now aim to secure her first victory against Pegula.

“It was truly a tough battle, and I think we both played outstanding tennis. Seeing Mira so disappointed, I completely understand. We both gave everything today. Witnessing her emotions really moved me. She played exceptionally well as the defending champion. I feel like we were both winners on the court today.”

So, who do you think will lift the women’s singles trophy in Dubai this year?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)